On March 1, the press-service of the European Patent Office published a statement in which it expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine. Expressing support to the citizens of Ukraine, the office announced the freezing of relations with the patent offices of Russia and Belarus.
"As citizens of Europe, we stand in solidarity with all those who suffer from the horrific violence in Ukraine and with all refugees seeking safety in other countries. <...> As an institution, we also discuss the impact of the current crisis on our cooperation activities in the region. An immediate decision has been made to freeze cooperation with the national patent offices of Russia and Belarus, and to suspend cooperation with the Eurasian Patent Organization," the statement said.
In connection with the above-mentioned restrictions, the filing of European applications is suspended for Russian and Belarusian applicants.
