Key outcomes from the Professional Education Committee (PEC) meeting in Berlin

Professional Education Committee (PEC) Meeting Summary
24–25 June 2026, Berlin (Hybrid)

The Professional Education Committee (PEC) met in Berlin on 24–25 June 2026. The meeting combined plenary discussions with break-out sessions on EQE and Continued Professional Education (CPE) matters.

The impact of AI on the training of students and qualified EPAs was discussed both in the break-out sessions and in the plenary session. It is too early to make significant changes to the training and examination of candidates but we will revisit the topic regularly to keep on top of developments. epi trainings on this topic are always well attended and more ideas for additional CPE trainings were suggested during the PEC meeting. These will be organised in conjunction with the working group on AI that was newly established at Council in April.

On CPE-related matters, the committee considered the draft CPE Guidelines for meeting the requirements under the Code of Conduct to keep our professional knowledge up-to-date. It was agreed that the next steps include further consultation with the Professional Conduct Committee. PEC members were also asked to consult with their national delegations as well as their national Council members regarding any concerns or suggested improvements.

Discussions also touched on the possibility of creating an epi Students’ Body. Various aspects, including its potential purpose, role, organisational structure, and legal or institutional framework, were considered at a preliminary level. The topic may be explored further as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen student engagement and ensure that future patent professionals are represented within the wider epi community.

Other EQE-related matters such as the results of the EQE appeals for the 2025 cycle, the trial mentoring programme and the work of the tutors and coaches community were discussed. It was agreed that maintaining high-quality support for candidates remains a priority and this is a challenge for the small number of dedicated volunteers currently involved in the projects. New EQE feedback working groups were also established to provide structured feedback for the 2026 papers F and M1. If anyone is interested in supporting the EQE work as a tutor, coach, mentor or member of the EQE feedback group, please reach out to the education team.

The remit for PEC is broad and we also received updates on the Candidate Support Programme (CSP), intellectual property awareness activities such as the MIPEF programme and European Patent Administration Certification (EPAC). For CSP, we discussed the role of national professional associations in supporting CSP delivery through national patent offices and identified barriers to participation in certain countries. In relation to EPAC, the recent changes to modularise the examination and the restructure of the exam board were discussed.

In summary, this is an exciting time for PEC and we have lots of projects to which people can contribute over the coming months. Thanks to everyone in the team for all the hard work!