The European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
The EUIPO issues registrations for trademarks and industrial designs (equivalent to U.S. design patents) that have effect throughout the European Union (EU). The EPO is the regional office responsible for the grant of European patents. All EU member states are members of the EPO. The EPO also has the following non-EU members: Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The EPO has arrangements in place with several other countries that provide for the grant of a national patent in those countries on the basis of a patent granted by the EPO. See the EPO website for more information on these validation arrangements.