The European Commission will present new options to end a 20-year deadlock over patents, but plans for revamping a copyright tax are all but dead, internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy said today.
Past attempts to create a single EU patent that would be valid in all the bloc's countries failed due to disagreements over the number of languages to be used.
Businesses complain that China and India are moving ahead while EU politicians fail to agree on a bloc-wide system, making it harder to protect ideas for new products and services.
"The Community patent has been stuck in the mud for some time," Mr McCreevy told reporters. He said he would put forward new options shortly. "In my view the ball is firmly in the member states' court, and they will have to respond," Mr McCreevy said.
"It's up to member states to move and up to organisations who want us to move to put pressure on their own member states. It's being blocked by member states, so let them do the lobbying there," he added.
Mr McCreevy had wanted the EU to adopt a draft deal between European governments - including those outside the 27-member bloc - known as the European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA).
It would set harmonised patent laws and establish a new patent court to hear Europe-wide disputes. But France along with Italy, Spain and several other EU states opposed him last December, saying EPLA would not be part of EU law. "It is clear there is not the consensus at present on how to improve the situation," Mr McCreevy said.