A group of EU countries plans to strike a deal soon on a simplified and cheaper European patent system - a goal that has eluded the EU for a decade.
The European Commission has thrown its weight behind the move, admitting that there is no unanimity on the issue among the 27 member states.
Translation costs make patents in the EU much more expensive than US patents.
Germany, the UK and several other countries want a fast-track deal under the "enhanced co-operation" procedure.
The procedure is an innovation brought in by the EU's Lisbon Treaty.
"Enhanced co-operation" allows nine or more countries to push ahead with a measure they deem important but that is blocked by a small minority of EU states. Other countries can join them at a later date.
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A language dispute has delayed progress on an EU-wide patent system.
Italy and Spain objected to a Commission proposal to have three official languages for registering patents - English, French and German.
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"The current system for the patent is too expensive; it costs ten times more than in the United States. It impedes growth," he said.
"It is small and medium sized businesses - genuine sources of dynamism for the future - which are suffering most from it."
The Commission says
a single EU patent system would reduce translation costs from the current 14,000 euros (£12,226) on average to just 680 euros per patent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11862602Now this is what the European Union should be doing. Yes, I am actually supporting the European Union for once and I think this sort of approach is brilliant and exactly the sort of thing I want and feel would be of great benefit to all.
The European Commission should be looking at more ways to extend the single market into financial services whilst also reducing the regulatory burden on businesses. We should be doing more of this sort of "policy conformity" to ensure that businesses can really make the most out of the single market.
In regards to translation, I think we should really push for as much official business as possible to be conducted in as fewer languages as possible. Preferably this would be English and only English, however, I am willing to concede that some translation costs will remain as one cannot expect elected representatives (MEPs) to be fluent in English... yet
They have until next Wednesday