On 24 June the Select Committee of the Administrative Council of the EPO endorsed a "True Top 4" proposal for renewal fees applicable to the European Unitary Patent.

The renewal fees for the unitary patent correspond to the sum total of the renewal fees for the four countries in which European patents are most frequently validated (UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands).

For the first 10 years - the average lifetime of a European patent - the cost of renewing a unitary patent will be less than EUR 5000.

This decision of the Select Committee is part of a package comprising the level of fees for the Unitray patent. The EPO has stated that it is expected that the whole package, comprising the level of renewal fees, can be finalised and adopted in the autumn of this year - see here.