What changed

The EPO has brought guidance previously contained in the European Patent Guide and Euro-PCT Guide into the Guidelines and other official materials. The older guides were scheduled for withdrawal after 31 May 2026. References in internal checklists and instructions should therefore be checked before reuse.

What businesses should do

Identify applications approaching European phase entry, substantive examination or grant. Ask whether the instructions, documents and country decisions are complete. A new edition of the Guidelines does not by itself mean that an application is defective; the relevant sections and the particular procedural stage need review.

Three practical examples

A company preparing Euro-PCT entry checks the current entry requirements rather than forwarding an old checklist. A patent team preparing an examination response checks the guidance relevant to its objections. A proprietor approaching grant reviews its validation and unitary-effect decisions together. These are practical review steps, not assertions that every file needs amendment.