Accession of the Republic of Moldova the European Patent Convention
- Entry into the EPC
On March 2026, the Republic of Moldova officially deposited its instrument of accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC). This accession will take effect on 1 June 2026.
- Effects on European Patent Applications
All European patent applications filed on or after June 1, 2026, will automatically include the designation of the Republic of Moldova.
However, it will not be possible to add this country to applications filed before that date.
An exception is made: for applications filed in May 2026, applicants may expressly request that the filing date be set to June 1, 2026, in order to benefit from this designation.
- Consequences for International (PCT) Applications
For PCT applications filed from this date onward, the Republic of Moldova will automatically be included among the states designated for a European patent.
However, international applications filed before June 1, 2026, will not be eligible for European patent protection in Moldova. The same applies to Euro-PCT applications entering the European phase if their international filing date is prior to this date.
- End of the Validation System
With the entry into force of the EPC in Moldova, the Validation Agreement will end on June 1, 2026.
Consequently, for applications filed from that date onward, it will no longer be possible to validate a European patent in Moldova using the Validation Agreement.
However, the validation mechanism will remain applicable to:
- Applications filed before June 1, 2026, and
- Divisional applications resulting from these applications.