The Republic of Moldova became the 40th member state of the EPO on June 1, 2026.
Since November 1, 2015, holders of European patents have been able to seek protection in the Republic of Moldova without filing a separate application under the Validation Agreement. However, since June 1, 2026, the designation of the Republic of Moldova will be automatically included in European patent applications.
The EPO has 40 member states (all EU member states (27 countries), Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Moldova, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom), 1 expansion state (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and 5 validation states (Morocco, Tunisia, Cambodia, Georgia, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic), and a single European patent application can cover a market of over 715 million people.