asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he proposes to introduce legislation enabling the ratification of the Community Patent Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Community Patent Convention.
144.
The Community Patent Convention was signed by Ireland and all of the then member states of the European Communities in 1975. All of the original signatories, except Ireland and Denmark, have since taken the necessary domestic measures to ratify the convention, the bringing into force of which is an important element in the completion by 1992 of the Internal Market of the Community. In Ireland's case there are constitutional difficulties about the ratification of the convention and, because of these, it is not possible in the immediate future to initiate the necessary legislative measures to enable ratification to proceed.
A necessary step towards ratification of the Community Patent Convention, however, is the ratification of the European Patent Convention, which involves other European countries in addition to members of the European Communities. The Government have already decided that legislation to enable ratification of the European Patent Convention should now be proceeded with and the preparation of the necessary measure is at present being undertaken