Written by: Caleb Gilliam-Scott
The Republic of Moldova will become the fortieth contracting state to the European Patent Convention (EPC) effective 01 June 2026.
Protection in Moldova via a European patent was previously available under a separate agreement with the European Patent Office (EPO) under the validation system. Moldova is the first validation state to join the EPC as a full contracting state; previously, only so-called extension states have acceded to full membership.
Based on the approach taken for previous extension states, validation in Moldova is likely to remain available for European patent applications with a filing date prior to 01 June 2026, which will not be able to benefit from Moldova’s accession as an EPC contracting state.
New European patent applications filed on or after 01 June 2026 will automatically include the designation of Moldova upon payment of the designation fee. However, divisional applications divided from applications filed prior to Moldova’s accession will not be entitled to designate Moldova.
Moldova has a nominal GDP of over $21 billion and is in negotiations to join the European Union, with a self-imposed target date of 2030.
Moldova’s accession increases the potential territorial coverage of a European patent. In recent years, this coverage has also expanded through “add-on” countries under the validation system, as the EPO fosters closer links with other national intellectual property offices and some offices appear to favour outsourcing aspects of patent grant and related services to the EPO, which remains the European continent’s largest patent office.
