Key takeaways:
- PACE continues but only for the examination phase
- No PACE for search (search reports issued within 6 months without acceleration)
- PACE request must be filed electronically
- No official fees
- On a second enquiry, the next Office Action will issue within one month
The EPO has revised its PACE programme, limiting acceleration exclusively to the examination phase. This change reflects the consistently improved timeliness of European search reports (regularly issued within six months without requiring a separate acceleration request). In addition, PACE requests must now be filed electronically only, with paper filings no longer accepted. The request remains free of charge (cf. OJ EPO 2025, A69).
If an application is already under PACE and the EPO does not respect the timeline indicated after a first enquiry as to the processing of files, a subsequent enquiry obliges the Examining Division to issue the next Office Action within one month (cf. OJ EPO 2025, A70).
Both changes apply from 1 February 2026.
