FFPE-EPO - Providing the EPO with a different view

What is the FFPE-EPO?

FFPE-EPO is a union in the EPO, The Hague branch.
FFPE-EPO stands for Fédération de la Fonction Publique Européenne of the European Patent Office
FFPE-EPO is affiliated with our European umbrella organisation the FFPE (Fédération de la Fonction Publique Européenne), a European federation founded in 1962.
For more information on the FFPE, please consult their website www.ffpe.org [1]
FFPE-EPO believes that staff is served best by a constructive approach towards decision makers as this reflects the common interest that ultimately underlies any understanding between staff and higher management: a good future for everyone.

Why a second union in the EPO?

FFPE-EPO was founded on March 7^th 2008, by staff of various nationalities in The Hague that felt the need for new representation -a feeling shared by many colleagues- with new visions, developing new ways of representing your and everyone’s interests, including that of the Office.
We furthermore are convinced that proper democratic representation requires the possibility of choice.

We also think that the EPO needs a good way to negotiate employment conditions not based on conflict but rather through a properly negotiated framework agreement between unions and the organisation. The memorandum of understanding signed in march 2016 is a good example of such a framework agreement.

What does the FFPE-EPO stand for?

FFPE-EPO believes that staff is served best by a constructive approach towards decision makers as this reflects the common interest that ultimately underlies any understanding between staff and higher management: a good future for everyone.
The following keywords should give you a glimpse of our general principles:

Equal Treatment
Transparency
Honesty & Openness
Legal Security & Protection
Working Conditions & Environment
Social-atmosphere
Cooperation
Solidarity

Not only for The Hague!

FFPE-EPO welcomes staff from Munich, Berlin and Vienna to join FFPE-EPO in The Hague.

At the same time we actively support and encourage staff in those sites to set up similar FFPE affiliated unions as well. Get in touch with us if you want to know more about this!

Policy

Our policy is currently focussed on six main topics:

Unions, Staff Representation & Social Partner
Pensions & Salaries
Legal Security and Equal Treatment
Patent quality
Health & Safety
European School

You can find a more detailed exploration of these key issues here [2], in the part of our website restricted to EPO staff.

Statutes

The FFPE-EPO is an association registered under Dutch law with the Chamber of Commerce of The Hague. As such, our statutes [3] are registered with a notary public.

An unofficial English translation of the statutes can be found here [4].

Membership

Membership of FFPE-EPO is open to :

anyone employed as functionary of the European Patent Office
retired functionaries of the European Patent Office

If you wish to join the FFPE-EPO, fill in and return to us the following application form.

Current membership fees are set at eur 40,- for grades G1-G9, and eur 80,- for others. Pensioners pay a reduced fee of € 20,-.

Attachment	Size
Membership application form 2016.pdf [5]	61.75 KB

First Meeting, 2nd April 2008

During our first informational meeting held on April 2nd 2008, the Chairman of the FFPE-EPO presented several key points of our new union to a captive audience.

This presentation [6]is available in the area of this website restricted to EPO staff