G 1/25: the description must be adapted only where an inconsistency leads to non-compliance with the EPC
In G 1/25 (Enlarged Board of Appeal, 3 September 2026), the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) decided whether, and on what legal basis, the description must be adapted when the claims are amended. The decision resolves a long-standing divergence in the case law of the Boards of Appeal and builds directly on G 1/24. The Enlarged Board chose a middle course: adaptation is required only where an inconsistency between the amended claims and the description leads to non-compliance with a requirement of the EPC.
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