On the occasion of the Standard Essential Patents Strategy Conference Premier Cercle asked Amaryllis Verhoeven, Head of Unit, Industrial Property and the Fight against Counterfeiting, DG at the European Commission Grow the following.

Premier Cercle: Good Morning Amaryllis, Companies seeking to avoid lenghty court battles over the patent royalties may have their hopes boosted next year, when the European Commission expects to conclude a pilot programme to check wether patents that are parts of industrial standards are "essential" to the standard. Could you come back on the rationale of the 2017 EC communication?