Committee for the Integration of Associated Members

Objectives

The Committee for the Integration of Associated Members is responsible for establishing the conditions governing the participation of so-called “associated” or “temporary” members in the activities of the Institute.

“Associated” members may include, under broadly defined terms, trainees, European nationals who are legally established in their home country as patent attorneys and who practice their profession in Belgium without physically traveling there, or European patent attorneys who do practice in Belgium. For each category of such members, the Committee will also propose to the Council an annual contribution to the Institute.

“Temporary” members are typically European nationals who are legally established in their home country as patent attorneys and who come to Belgium to practice their profession here on a temporary or occasional basis.

Projects

One of the Committee’s objectives is to advise the Council on the assessment of the temporary and occasional nature of a registration as a “temporary” member. The statutory assessment of this nature lies with the Institute’s Council. The Committee will also seek to propose criteria to the Council for assessing the “temporary or occasional” nature of the services of these members, particularly regarding their duration, frequency, periodicity, and continuity. The Committee will also seek to make proposals to the Council to promote the integration of associate members into the Institute. The Committee also monitors EU legislation on the free movement of persons and services and examines its potential impact on national situations.