What does this accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC) change?
On 1 June 2026, the Republic of Moldova became the 40th Member State of the European Patent Organisation (EPO).
It thus moves from the status of validation state to that of contracting state to the EPC.
Validation state versus contracting state
Between 1 November 2015 and 31 May 2026, Moldova had the status of validation state. This means that an applicant could request that a European patent produce its effects in the territory of Moldova, provided that such validation was requested and a specific fee was paid. This mechanism is based on a validation agreement with the EPO and on Moldovan national law, not on the direct application of the EPC.
The validation agreement ended on 1 June, from which date Moldova became a contracting state to the EPC. It then enters the common regime of the Convention: all contracting states are deemed designated in the European patent application, and the European patent produces in each of them the effects of a national patent.
Other countries have concluded a validation agreement with the EPO: the validation states currently concerned are Morocco, Tunisia, Cambodia, Georgia and Laos. An agreement has also been signed with Costa Rica, but it has not yet entered into force.
Effects of the accession
European patent applications filed as from 1 June 2026 will include the designation of the Republic of Moldova as a new contracting state. The validation system may nevertheless continue to apply to European patent applications and international applications filed before that date, as well as to divisional applications derived from applications filed before that date and to patents granted on their basis.
Moldova’s accession to the EPC thus simplifies access to patent protection in this territory, while fully integrating it into the European conventional framework.