European patents can be validated in Tunisia

The European Patent Office (EPO) has signed an agreement with Tunisia under the terms of which the North African country recognises the validity of European patents. The agreement means that an applicant filing for a European patent can also opt for validation in Tunisia, despite the fact that the country is not an EPO member state. Validated European patent applications and patents will have the same legal effect as Tunisian national applications and patents.

The agreement needs to be ratified before it can enter into force.