Starting from July 1, 2023, due to several economic factors, it has become necessary to adjust the fees associated with our various services.
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis, combined with the recent peak in energy costs and the surge of inflation across Europe, the CPVO and our network of Examination Offices have encountered substantial cost increases, spanning across technical examinations, infrastructure, and labor costs.
The decision to adjust these fees has been judiciously considered to comply with the need for sustainable funding for the Agency.
We realize that fee adjustments can impact our applicants, and we want to assure you of our commitment to clarity and transparency regarding these changes. We have made every effort to minimize these increases, maintaining our core objective of continuing to deliver our services with transparency and fairness.
Here are some key aspects of the fee adjustments:
The annual fee for holders of a Community plant variety right has increased from EUR 330 to EUR 380. This change reflects the evolving economic landscape and supports the continued operations of the CPVO. This fee has remained unchanged for several years, and the update considers the accumulated inflation for the CPVO over the past years. The previous increase of the annual fee was implemented on January 1, 2017.
The fees for technical examination of plant varieties have been updated. The fee increases reflect the reality on the ground for our network of examination offices.
The complexity of appeal cases has seen a rise, necessitating a revision of the appeal fee, which has remained the same since the CPVR system was introduced in 1995. The appeal fee will increase to EUR 2100, ensuring that we can partially cover the costs related to processing appeals. This adjustment will allow us to allocate necessary resources to handle appeal cases effectively and maintain a fair and robust appeals process.
We acknowledge the importance of covering expenses related to nullifying Community plant variety rights and charging administrative fees for written objections to granting such rights as part of our continuous efforts to improve the efficiency of our administrative procedures. These costs are necessary to cover the increased administrative expenses associated with the processing of complex nullity and objection proceedings.
The fees for the technical examination of plant varieties have been updated. These fee increases reflect the current situation for our network of examination offices. Notably, there has been a significant increase in costs throughout this network, particularly regarding energy. As a self-financed, but not-for-profit agency, the CPVO is required to pass on the real costs of examinations to the applicants.
However, we do accept the take-over of DUS reports when an application has been filed at a national level with the same examination office entrusted by the CPVO for the same species concerned (please consult S2/S3 publication here). This procedure provides a benefit to breeders who can opt for lower examination costs.
We are pleased to inform you that there has been no change to the application fee. If you are a small or medium enterprise (SME), you are eligible for a refund of 50% of this fee. This benefit can be availed by making your claim prior to submitting your Community Plant Variety Rights (CPVR) application. Here you will find more information.