The JPO and the EPO will commence the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program on January 29, 2010. This new PPH program with the EPO, having the 4th largest number of patent applications in the world, becomes the 12th PPH agreement that JPO has entered into. The 13 countries including the JPO and the EPO account for approximately 75% of the number of patent applications filed in the world. Further, the agreement between the JPO and the EPO will also mark the commencement of a common Trilateral PPH effort (JPO, USPTO, and EPO).

JPO website:
http://www.jpo.go.jp/torikumi_e/t_torikumi_e/pph_epo/eigo.htm