On 27 April 2020, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and with the aim to support plant breeders facing unforeseen financial difficulties, the President of the CPVO took the exceptional decision to extend deadlines for payment of the annual fee and the payment of examinations fees.
The CPVO would now like to kindly remind all concerned stakeholders and plant breeders that the measures laid out in the decision of 27 April have come to an end on Monday 21 September 2020. As a result, they would like to confirm to all applicants and right-holders with outstanding unpaid fees that the CPVO is now reverting to the one-month deadline for payment after the reminder date.
In practice, what does it means if you have outstanding fees falling outside the scope of the CPVO decision of 27 April?
Unpaid annual fees
Whenever the payment of an annual fee is not received within one month of the date of a reminder sent by the CPVO, the CPVO will cancel the Community Plant Variety Right(s) for the relevant variety(ies) - in accordance with article 21(2)(c) of Council Regulation N° 2100/94(b). A cancellation for non-payment of the annual fee(s) will be published in the Office’s Official Gazette.
Unpaid examination fees
Whenever the payment of an examination is not made within one month of the date of of a reminder sent by the CPVO, the CPVO will cancel the examination(s) in question. As a consequence, please be informed that the CPVO will refuse the application and, despite that, the examination fee(s) remain due.
For more information:
CPVO
cpvo.europa.eu