Three years on: the Unitary Patent continues to grow

Once the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a European patent, one request gives patent owners one patent covering 18 EU Member States, a market of 350 million consumers and around 80% of the EU's economy (see map of territory covered). Over 100 000 registrations since June 2023 confirm growing trust: in the first half of 2026, around 30% of European patents granted and 11% of those of Japanese proprietors became Unitary Patents, up from nearly 10% in 2025.
With the Unitary Patent, the EPO remains a one-stop shop for the patent's life. One annual renewal fee in Euros replaces 18 national payments with one single procedure. There are no further steps before national patent offices, so also translation, publication and local agent costs largely disappear. (see Cost of a Unitary Patent). Patent owners prepared to license their invention to interested parties can also reduce renewal fees by 15%. Japanese businesses can thus secure simple and predictable protection across a territory covering Japan's five largest EU export markets, particularly benefiting SMEs.
The Unitary Patent also simplifies enforcement. Instead of parallel national cases, patent owners can use the Unified Patent Court to obtain one decision covering all 18 states. Its multinational panels include legally and technically qualified judges, and its growing case law, largely aligned with the EPO Boards of Appeal, provides legal certainty. Since May 2026, the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre has offered confidential out-of-court procedures.
The EPO supports Japanese users through webinars, seminars, and conferences organised with local partners and online information, statistics and Japanese materials for businesses, investors and patent professionals planning their European patent strategy.
Source : EPO
https://www.epo.org/en