EPO – SAIP Bilateral PPH Pilot Program Expiry and Subsequent Arrangements

The bilateral PPH pilot project between the EPO and the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), which commenced on July 1, 2022, is set to expire on December 31, 2025, as per the previous notice (OJ EPO 2025, A39).

In this update, the EPO confirms that, due to pending necessary administrative steps at the national level, it is currently not possible to seamlessly transition this PPH pilot framework into a permanent mechanism starting January 1, 2026. In this context, PPH requests between the EPO and SAIP will no longer be accepted from January 1, 2026.

• Any newly submitted requests for accelerated examination under the EPO – SAIP PPH framework cannot currently be accepted by the EPO.
• The expired pilot project will not be automatically extended or converted into a long-term implementation before the completion of the necessary administrative work.

Alternative Acceleration Paths Available to Applicants: PACE and Other Options

For applicants requiring faster examination results or progress towards grant, the EPO explicitly recommends in the notice switching to the PACE acceleration path, namely: the Programme for Accelerated Prosecution of European Patent Applications (PACE), under which applicants can request their European patent application be included; or other methods to accelerate the European grant procedure, such as proactively compressing procedural timelines.

In summary, during the period when the EPO–SAIP PPH framework temporarily cannot accept new requests, applicants wishing to expedite case progress in Europe should prioritize planning and timeline management through the PACE program or other existing acceleration mechanisms.