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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(82)115
Vol.1982/0039

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COMMISSION
OFTHE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
GeneralSecretariatFOROFFICIALUSEONLY
NEGOTIATIONS FORTHEACCESSION OFSPAIN
(Commission Communication totheCouncil)
APPROXIMATION OFLAWS
PATENTS(Luxembourg Conventionof19December1975)
C0M(82)115final

INTRODUCTIONT/TAS/lOO
Inthecontextofthenegotiations onSpanishaccessionanumber
ofproblemsarisingfromtheexaminationofCommunitysecondary
legislationcarriedoutbytheCommissionandtheSpanish
Authorities weresubsequently referredtoinstatements onthe
^Approximation ofLaws"chaptersubmittedattheConference.
Spainrequestedatemporaryderogationregardingtheapplication
oftheLuxembourgConventionof19December1975f°rtheEuropean
patentforthecommonmarket.
ThisCommunication containstheCommission'sproposalsonthe
matter.

1.Initsstatementof26June1981(CONF-E/49/8I),submittedatthe
14thmeetingoftheConferenceatDeputylevel,theCommunityrejectedthe
1SpanishviewaccordingtowhichtheLuxembourgConventionof
19December1975(76/76/EEC)fortheEuropeanpatentforthecommonmarket
"doesnotformpartoftheacquiscommunautaire becauseithadnotbeen
ratifiedbycertainMemberStates,andconcluded:"TheCommunitycannot
thereforeacceptthereservation voicedonthismatterbytheSpanish
2delegation"•
2.InitsstatementCONF-E/62/81submittedatthe15thmeetingofthe
ConferunceatDeputylevelon30September1981,Spainsaid:"TheSpanish
delegationnotesthecontentofthestatementsubmittedbytheCommunity
inthisconnectionatthemeetingoftheNegotiating' Conferenceon
26June1981.
InthisdocumenttheSpanishdelegationwishestostatetheproblemswhich
theapplicationinSpainoftheLuxembourgConventionof19December1975
fortheEuropeanpatentforthecommonmarketwouldcauseunlesssufficient
timeisallowedforthenecessaryinternaladjustmentstobemade".
Thestatement(CONF-E/62/81)wassupplementedbythestatementCONF-E/12/82
submittedbyNoteVerbaleof17February1982andconfirmedatthe
18thmeetingatDeputylevelon26February1982.InthisstatementSpain
pointsoutthat"alongperiodoftimeisnecessarytoachievetheplanned
reformofthepresentSpanishpatentslawsandtoadaptpublicandprivate
researchanddevelopmentstructurestothenewphilosophyofresearch,as
represented ,bothinthelaboratoryandinotherestablishments andforthe
staffcarryingouttheresearchbythepossibility ofpatentingproducts.
Itisespeciallynecessaryinordertoenableundertakings withapromising
CONF-E/75/8O,p.1II
2C0NF-E/75/80,p.9.

-2-
futurebutwiththeeconomicdifficulties ofthepresentcrisistocarry
outadequateinvestmentswhich,inaddition,requireamuchlongerperiod
ofmaturationundertheproductpatentingsystemthanunderthatof
procedurepatenting.
ThesereasonsdemonstratetheimperativeneedforSpaintoruleoutthe
possibilityofpatentingchemicalandpharmaceutical productsfora
considerable periodoftime.
This-periodmustbecompatiblewiththeentryintoforceofthenew
legislationplannedfor1984-85»theeffectofwhichonthetechnological
infrastructure willgraduallybecomeevidentinthesecondpartofthe
decade.
4
ThenewPatentsLawprovidesonlyforpostponements ofthreeyearsforthe
entryintoforceofthereportonthestateoftheartandeightyearsfor
thereversaloftheonusofproof.Theseperiodsshouldbedeemedtostart
fromtheentryintoforceofthatLaw.
Inviewofthistimescaleandtherequirements oftheSpanishindustry
dulyjustifiedinthepresentdeclaration ,Spainwillbeabletoaccede
totheLuxembourgConventionandtheMunichConventionnineyearsafter
Spain*saccessiontotheEuropeanCommunities".
II.
3.TheCommunityshouldnotethattheSpanishdelegationadmitsimplicitly
1initsstatementsthattheLuxembourgConventionof19December1975
(76/76/EEC)fortheEuropeanpatentforthecommonmarketispartofthe
acquiscommunautaire "whichSpainhastoacceptasafundamental condition
2ofitsaccession".
TheCommunityshould'firstofallwelcomethefactthatSpainistoamend
itspatentlawtoapproximateitto"currentCommunityrulesonthesubject",
butshouldalsoexpressitsregretthattheSpanishlegislatorintendsto
suspendapplicationofthisnewlegislation "foranumberofyears"inthecase
oftheSpanishchemicalandpharmaceutical sector:
COHF-E/62/81+COHF-E/12/82
2C0flF-E/49/8l.

-3-
Nevertheless ,theCommunity should' show interest inexamining
theSpanish draft lawamending patent legislation inorder to
check that itcomplies with theCommunity texts inforce .
vI
III .
4.Inthelight oftheexamination oftheSpanish statements ,
notably that of17February 1982 ,andtechnical contacts between
theCommission andSpanish experts ,theCommission understands
that Spain hasbased itsrequest essentially onthefollowing
points :
Spain 'schemical andpharmaceutical industry istechnologically
lagging well behind andtointroduce forthwith theprotection
ofcher j.cal products andthepatentability ofmedicines would
create insurmountable economic ,social andstructural problems .
*
Atthepresent time thechemical andpharmaceutical industry has
only avery limited research capacity ,which isgeared exclusively
tomanufacturing processes .Theintroduction ofpatent protection
fortheproducts themselves will make itimpossible forthis
industry tocontinue functioning .Anadaptation period ofat
least nine years will therefore beindispensable toprepare for
thepatentability ofchemical andpharmaceutical products .The
newSpanish draft lawonpatents (referred toabove )isastep
inthis direction .
IV.
5.Inexamining thequestion whether there should beatemporary
derogation incertain circumstances (seeVbelow ),theCommission
took thefollowing points into consideration :
(a)Toavoid asudden change inthesituation ofanumber ofSpanish
undertakings caused bytheimmediate introduction ofpatentability of
chemical andpharmaceutical products ,they must begranted an
adaptation period extending beyond thedate ofaccession .

-4-
(b)Itisintheinterests ofboth theCommunity andSpain
that Spain accede assoon aBpossible totheMunich European
Patent Convention of5October 1973*'
\
Accession totheLuxembourg Convention "implies accession tothe
Munich Convention .Acceptance oftheSpanish request for
atemporary derogation will enable Spain toaccede tothe
Munich Convention once ithasbecome amember oftheCommunity and
inanycase by31October 1986 atthelatest .This would be
adecisive step towards theLuxembourg Convention .Industry
would beable toobtain patents with effect inSpain ,with the
exception oftheproducts referred tointhereservation ,and
thus process patents forthemanufacture ofchemical and
pharmaceutical products would beincluded .
(c)Spain points outthat itwants thederogation toapply for
nine years .
However ,theCommission considers that aderogation should not
exceed thetime-limit applied tothetemporary derogations
contained intheMunich Convention ,which is31October 1992 ^".
(d)Togive process patents adequate protection itwill benecessary
forSpain tostipulate inthenear future that theburden of
proof will bereversed intheevent ofaninfringement (seeArticle 75
oftheLuxembourg Convention ).
Article I67oftheMunich Convention states that aContracting State may ,
foraperiod oftenyears from theentry into force oftheConvention ,
reserve theright nottoconfer patent protection onchemical ,
pharmaceutical orfood products .
This transitional period expires on31October 1987 .However ,at
therequest ofaContracting State which becomes amember nolater
than 21October 1986 ,theAdministrative Council oftheEuropean
Patent Office mayextend forthelast time thevalidity ofthereservation
byfive years until 31October 1992 .

-4a-
(e)ThenewSpanish lawwhich isbeing drawn upmust be
compatible with theprinciples ofthefree movement ofgoods
inthecommon market andwith the level ofprotection of
Vindustrial property attained intheCommunity ,particularly..1
inthefield ofcompulsory licences .
TheCommission will notbeable todefine itsposition indetail
until ithasinitspossession thedraft lawapproved bythe
Spanish Government on12February 1982 .

-5-
V.
Commission proposals
Inthelight ofthearguments putforward bySpain andthepoints
\
setoutabove ,theCommission makes the ifollowing proposals :
1.Spain will have toundertake toaccede totheMunich
European Patent Convention once ithasbecome amember ofthe
Community andinanycase by31October 1986 atthelatest .
2.Spain will have toundertake toincorporate initsnational
legislation ,atthelatest bytheendofthetransitional period
setbytheMunich Convention (duetoexpire on31October 1987)1
aprovision onthereversal oftheburden ofproof inline
with Article 75oftheLuxembourg Convention fortheEuropean patent
for the common market .
3.Spain will have toundertake nottoinclude inthenewSpanish
patent lawprovisions which would beincompatible with theprinciples
ofthefree movement ofgoods orthelevel ofprotection of
industrial property attained intheCommunity ,particularly in
thefield ofcompulsory licences .
4.Inthese circumstances theCommunity will have tobeprepared
togrant Spain until 31October 1992 tointroduce thepatentability
ofchemical andpharmaceutical products .
5.Spain will have toaccede totheLuxembourg Convention before
theperiod referred inpoint 4expires .