In a recently published draft, the European Commission (EU
Commission) has proposed the introduction of a unitary SPC, new
regulations for Standard Essential Patents (SEP) and a new
instrument for compulsory licensing of patents in crisis situations
in the EU.
To complement the Unitary Patent system the EU Commission has
proposed a unitary SPC for medicinal products and plant protection
products. A SPC provides up to five years extension of a patent but
is currently only available on a national basis, which still will
be the case when the Unified Patent Court enters into force on 1
June 2023 and until the proposal has been approved by the European
Parliament and the European Council. The proposal is seen as a way
to make it more attractive to the pharmaceutical industries to
apply for Unitary Patents (or European Patents with unitary
effect). The new regulation will be administered by the European
Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).