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Corporate Services

The EPO's Directorate-General 4, Corporate Services, ensures that EPO staff members at all our five sites benefit from state-of-the-art working conditions. Its areas of expertise range from the compensation and benefits package offered to EPO employees to the tools made available via Business Information Technology to all types of workplace set-up in the EPO buildings. In addition, DG 4 is responsible for the sustainable management of the EPO's finances.

Our objective is to contribute to the Office's vision by providing high-quality services in a timely way and economically. By doing so we care for our staff and allow them to contribute and perform their tasks to the best of their ability in line with the EPO vision statement: "Committed to excellence".

We see ourselves as the facilitator and enabler of the core business while ensuring the well-being of our colleagues. By managing the EPO's financial resources as effectively as possible, we maintain its financial independence.

DG 4 staff members are highly qualified professionals working in Finance, Human Resources, Facility Management and Business Information Technology. They are committed to delivering high-quality services to their colleagues and ensuring the EPO's continuing success.

 

Our teams

Principal Directorate Finance (PD 4.1) is responsible for budget preparation and execution, the preparation of the annual financial statements, treasury (EPOTIF) and cash management and accounting. PD 4.1 is also responsible for the procurement of all goods and services required by the business units.

Principal Directorate People (PD 4.2) is HR's front line in terms of talent management and customer service delivery. It consists of Talent Management, the HR business partners and operations related to remuneration and staff benefits.

Principal Directorate Corporate Policies (PD 4.3) is responsible for compensation and benefits, employment law, workforce planning and employee policies.

Principal Directorate General Administration (PD 4.4) provides Office-wide services in the areas of buildings, technical installations, facility management, language and document services, printing and insurance and asset management. It does so in a way that ensures all EPO units have appropriate working conditions and are able to work without disruption. PD 4.4 also supports the patent-granting process in the areas of mail and distribution services.

Business Information Technology (BIT) consists of the Principal Directorate Chief Technology Officer (PD 4.5) and the Principal Directorate Chief Information Officer (PD 4.6), which together drive the EPO's digital transformation. PD 4.5 is responsible for the overall IT architecture and the creation and maintenance of software products for patent granting at the EPO, as well as for other patent offices under the EPO's IT co-operation. PD 4.6 is responsible for overall IT planning, the implementation of IT solutions for corporate functions, the day-to-day operations of IT systems and infrastructures and information security.