Oral proceedings/ Video Conferencing On the EPO's page I found the process for Oral Proceedings/ Video conferencing. Full version is on EPO website. I've copy pasted some highlights. Oral proceedings - Oral proceedings, particularly in opposition proceedings, are held to give the opportunity to finally discuss all matters raised and are normally terminated with a decision announced orally - The division is bound by that decision, once announced, and it cannot reopen the proceedings to allow further submissions to be filed or to take into account new facts - Only if the division, in the oral proceedings, has not announced a decision, but has decided to continue the proceedings in writing, can further submissions be examined. - The competent department of the EPO may arrange for oral proceedings to take place without a request from a party if it considers this to be expedient. - Oral proceedings will normally only be expedient if after an attempt at written clarification there are still questions or doubts which have a crucial bearing on the decision to be reached and which may be more efficiently or surely settled by oral discussion with the party or parties or if it is necessary to take evidence as part of oral proceedings - The purpose of oral proceedings is to settle as far as possible all outstanding questions relevant to the decision - If the patent is to be granted or maintained in an amended form, it is the aim to reach an agreement upon the final text in the oral proceedings. If, however, by way of exception the examining or opposition division indicates during the oral proceedings that it would be willing to grant or maintain a European patent provided that certain amendments are made which could not reasonably have been foreseen from the earlier procedure, the applicant or patent proprietor will be given a time limit of normally 2 to 4 months in which to submit such amendments. If the applicant or patent proprietor fails to do so, the application will be refused or the patent will be revoked.