Governance
We are a decentralised agency of the European Union, created to offer IP protection to businesses and innovators across the EU and beyond.
The EUIPO's decision-making process combines transparency with a commitment to our users.
The Council of the European Union decides on the appointment of our Executive Director, our Deputy Executive Director, and the President and Chairpersons of the Boards of Appeal. The Executive Director is responsible for the running of the EUIPO. The governance structure of the EUIPO consists of a Management Board and a Budget Committee, each composed of one representative from each Member State, two representatives from the European Commission and one representative from the European Parliament. The EUIPO enjoys legal, administrative and financial autonomy.
Structure of the Management Board (known as Administrative Board until 23 March 2016)
Chairperson
Mr Jorma Hanski
Director of Patents and Trade Marks at the Finnish Patent and Registration Office
Deputy Chairperson
Ms Patrycja Czubkowska
Vice-President of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland
The functions of the Management Board are defined in Articles 153 to 156 of the European Union trade mark regulation and Regulation No MB-01-16 of the Management Board of the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
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Structure of the Budget Committee
Chairperson
Mr José Antonio Gil Celedonio
Member of the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU, Ministry of industry, trade and tourism
Deputy Chairperson
Vacant
The functions of the Budget Committee are defined in Articles 171 to 181 of the European Union trade mark regulation and Regulation No BC-01-16 of the Budget Committee of the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
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Joint meetings of the Management Board and the Budget Committee
The Management Board and the Budget Committee work together closely. Their respective chairpersons may agree to call for a Joint Meeting to discuss questions of common interest. Details of recent work undertaken are available through the following links:
Decisions adopted by the Management Board and the Budget Committee
Observers
Representatives of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) have participated as observers in the meetings of the Management Board (MB) since 1995 and in those of the Budget Committee (BC) since 2010. A representative of the European Patent Office (EPO) has also been attending MB meetings since 2011. The Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) was granted observer status in November 2017 and has participated in both MB and BC meetings since June 2018.
In 2008 the MB and in January 2010 the BC granted permanent observer status to five organisations that represent users — the International Trademark Association (INTA), BUSINESSEUROPE, MARQUES, the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA) and the European Brands Association (AIM). This status has been confirmed by both the MB and the BC for the period 2020-2025.
In 2011 additional non-permanent observer seats were added to the MB and BC. For the period 2020-2025 the MB and BC have given the following user associations the option of attending their meetings on a rotational basis: in 2020 the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) and the Association of Trade Mark and Design Law Practitioners (APRAM); in 2021 the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) and the Association of National Institutes of Intellectual Property Attorneys (ANIPA); in 2022 the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI) and the German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (GRUR); in 2023 the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the AIPPI; in 2024 the APRAM and the CITMA; and in 2025 the ANIPA and the FICPI.
The Secretariat for both the MB and the BC is provided by the EUIPO.