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COM (83) 228 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/0 095 
  
 
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concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
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In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
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In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
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COMMISSION  
OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
General SecretariatCOM(83) 228 final.
Brussels, 27 Aprii 1983.
FO R  OFFICIAL  U S E  O N LY
NEGOTIATIONS ON PORTUGAL'S ACCESSION 
TO THE COMMUNITIES
Commission proposal on patents
(Communication from the Commission to the Council)
COM(83) 228 final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. This communication concerns Portugal's implementation of thè
acquis communautaire regarding patents and is a response to thè 
statement of 12 Novembe 
position on thè matter.1statement of 12 November 1982 , in which Portugal set out its
2. Part I sets out Portugal's request and Part II thè grounds it 
advances in support of that request.
3. The Commission's assessment of Portugal's request is in Part III; 
Part IV contains thè Commission's specific proposals.
4. The Commission is ifivited to adopt this proposai and decide 
that it be sent to thè Council.
1CONF-P/89/82.

PARTI: PORTUGAL'S REQUEST
1. In its statement on approximafion of Laws on 12 November 1982,
'  1at thè 22nd meeting of thè Conference at Deputy level , thè 
Portuguese delegation raised thè question of thè patentabiLity of 
foodstuffs, Chemicals and pharmaceuticals; Portuguese legislation does 
not provide for this,but accession to thè Munich and Luxembourg 
Conventions (thè European Patent Convention and thè Convention for 
thè European patent for thè common market respectively) will make it 
necessary to introduce such a provision.
2. The Portuguese delegation "feels that thè national jndustry needs a 
sufficiently long period of adjustment before being in a position to 
undergo thè effects of thè product patent". It is therefore asking for 
a derogation from its obligation to allow patenting of foodstuffs, 
Chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
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PART II: PORTUGAL'S GROUNDS FOR THE REQUEST
3. It is thè Commission's understanding, based on its examination of 
thè abovementioned Portuguese statement and contacts between Portuguese 
and Commission officials, that Portugal's grounds for its request are 
essentially as follows.
Portugal's food, Chemical and pharroacetitTca l industries are technically 
very backward, so that to make products of those industries patentable 
immediately would cause serious economie, social and structural problems. 
At thè moment, thè research capacity of thè food, Chemical and 
pharmaceutical industries is very limited and confined to manufacturing 
processes. Introducing patent protection for thè actual products 
would make it extremely difficult for thè industries to stay in business. 
There will have to be an adjustment period running to 1992 to allow them 
to prepare for thè time when these products become patentable.
CONF-P/89/82 of 18 December 1982.

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PART III: COMMI SSION ASSESSMENT
4. In deciding whether a temporary derogation - on certain conditions - 
is needed, thè Commission was guided by thè following considerations:
(a) In order to avoid thrusting a number of Portuguese firms into a 
criticai situation by making foodstuffs, Chemicals and pharmaceuticals 
patentable immediately, they should be allowed an adjustment
period running beyond thè date of accession.
(b) It is in thè interests of both thè Community and Portugal that
thè latter should accede to thè European Patent (Munich)
Convention of 5 October 1973 as soon as possible. Accession to
that convention is a precondition for accession to thè Luxembourg
Convention. Accepting Portugal's request for a temporary derogation
will enable it to accede to thè Munich Convention as soon as it * « •
joins thè Community, and at thè latest by 7 October 1986. That 
would be a decisivi step in thè direction of thè Luxembourg 
Convention. Industries could get patents valid in Portugal -except 
for products covered by thè reservation, which would include process 
patents for thè manufacture of foodstuffs, Chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Cc) The Commission does not feel that refusing Portugal a temporary 
derogation would necessarily ensure that foodstuffs, Chemicals 
and pharmaceuticals become patentable by thè desired date. Its4.  f'* "
view is that thè only way to' be sure that thè inaustries can get 
a European patent (or a Community patent, if thè Luxembourg 
Convention is in force by then) for these products in Portugal by 
a set date, i.e. from 7 October 1992, is for Portugal to accede 
to thè Munich Convention by 7 October 1986.

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The Commission would point out, in particular, that its aim as outlined above 
can only be achieved if thè Member States promise Portugal to vote on thè 
European Patent Office's Administrative Council to extend thè reservation
allowed under Artide 1671untij. 7 .October 1992. Unless it receives such
an assurance Portugal will not be ready to accede to thè Munich Convention.
5. Portuguese patent law contains none of thè rules as exclusive compulsory 
licensing, compulsory exploitation of patents or patents of introduction which 
Spain has been asked to abolish or bring into line with thè level of protection 
in thè Community as from its accession. And since 30 June 1980 there has
been a clause in Portuguese law2reversing thè burden of proof on process
patents which is in line with Artide 75 of thè Luxembourg Convention. This 
gives industry effective protection on new processes for manufacture of 
foodstuffs, Chemicals and pharmaceuticals very similar to that conferred by a 
product patent, since it stipulates that thè same product, when produced by 
any other party shall, in thè absence of proof to thè contrary, be deemed to 
have been obtained by thè patented process.
36.  In thè light of thè 'a 6ove, there appear to be no grounds for a derogation
from Artide 30 et seq.  of thè EEC Treaty to protect Community industry against 
imports of thè products in question marketed in Portugal for thè first time by 
thè holder of a product patent in one of thè present Member States or with his
1Artide 167 of thè Munich Convention stipulates that a contracting State may 
during a period of 10 years from thè entry into force of thè Convention 
reserve thè right to refrain from provjding patent protection for Chemical, 
pharmaceutical or food products.
This transitional period expires'on 7 October 1987. The Administrative 
Council of thè European Patent Organization may however at thè request of a 
contracting State which became a member no later than 7 October 1986 decide 
to extent thè validity of this reservation by not more than five years, in 
other words until no later than 7.10.1992.
2Artide 3 of Decree No 176/80 of 30 May 1980.
3The commission bases its position on thè current state of Portuguese law. 
That position will of necessity be changed if thè Portuguese legislature 
decides to abolish thè rule reversing thè burden of proof; thè Commissio 
is informed that such a possibility exists.

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consent. The holder of thè patent will naturally retain thè right to forbid 
thè import of products manufactured in Portugal by another party without his 
consent. s
7. The Commission further considers thè clause reversing thè burden of proof 
should be appLied from accession to all patents for processes lodged before 
thè clause carne into effect.
PART IV. COMMISSION PROPOSALS
In thè tight of thè arguments put forward by Portugal and thè above 
considerations, thè Commission proposes thè following. .
1. Portugal should accede to thè European Patent Convention CMunich 
Convention) in time to enable it to apply Artide 167 in respect of foodstufffs, 
Chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
In that connection thè Member States of thè Community in their capacity as 
contracting parties to thè Munich Convention should undertake to do what is 
necessary, on thè basis of a request from Portugal, to get thè validity of 
thè reservation provided for in Artide 167 of thè Convention extended beyond 
7 October 1987, for thè maximum period permitted by thè Convention.
2. At thè expiry of thè derogation period Portugal should accede to thè 
Luxembourg Convention for thè European patent without recourse to thè procedure 
provided for in Artide 95(4) of thd Convention.
3. Portugal should also see that its national law provides from accession 
that thè clause reversing thè burden of proof will apply to all patents lodged 
before thè entry into force of Decree No 167/80 of 30 May 1980.