The EU design regulation 2026/715 is the new consolidated text of the law on EU designs: it entered into force on 1 July 2026, repealed Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 and renumbered almost every article. It does not change official fees, which stay at EUR 350 for an application, but any licence, assignment, warning letter or internal policy that cites the old article numbers should be updated. This matters to design owners, licensees and in-house teams across the EU.
Key takeaways
- Regulation (EU) 2026/715 was adopted on 11 March 2026, published in the Official Journal on 30 March 2026 and entered into force on 1 July 2026.
- It is a codification: it gathers Regulation 6/2002 and its amendments, including the 2024 reform, into one text.
- References to the old Regulation are read through the correlation table in Annex III, but documents are clearer if updated.
- The fees now sit in Annex I and match those in force since 1 May 2025.
What is Regulation (EU) 2026/715?
Regulation (EU) 2026/715 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Union designs is a codification. Its first recital explains that Regulation 6/2002 had been substantially amended several times and should be codified in the interests of clarity. Article 163 repeals the old Regulation and Article 164 sets entry into force on 1 July 2026, the same day the second phase of the reform introduced by Regulation (EU) 2024/2822 started to apply.
The new text runs to 164 articles and three annexes: fees (Annex I), the list of amending acts (Annex II) and the correlation table (Annex III). The Commission’s detailed rules now sit in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/138 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/137, which the EUIPO Guidelines adopted on 30 June 2026 already cite.
Which article numbers changed?
Almost all of them. These are the provisions that appear most often in contracts and correspondence, taken from Annex III:
| Topic | Regulation 6/2002 | Regulation 2026/715 |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions | Article 3 | Article 4 |
| Novelty / individual character | Articles 5 and 6 | Articles 6 and 7 |
| Disclosure and 12-month grace period | Article 7 | Article 8 |
| Term of a registered design | Article 12 | Article 13 |
| Rights conferred | Article 19 | Article 20 |
| Repair clause | Article 20a | Article 22 |
| Grounds for invalidity | Article 25 | Article 27 |
| Transfer / licensing | Articles 28 and 32 | Articles 31 and 36 |
| Date of filing / priority | Articles 38 and 41 | Articles 46 and 49 |
| Deferment of publication | Article 50 | Article 62 |
| Renewal | Article 50d | Article 66 |
| Application for invalidity | Article 52 | Article 73 |
| Jurisdiction of EU design courts | Article 81 | Article 120 |
Article 163 says references to the repealed Regulation are construed as references to the new one, so an old contract does not stop working. The risk is practical: a licence that refers to “Article 32” now points readers to an implementing-powers provision on transfers rather than to licensing, which is Article 36.
What are the official EU design fees under Annex I?
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application (one design) | EUR 350 |
| Each additional design in a multiple application | EUR 125 |
| Deferment of publication | EUR 40 (EUR 20 per additional design) |
| Renewal, first to fourth period | EUR 150 / 250 / 400 / 700 per design |
| Late renewal | 25% of the renewal fee |
| Invalidity application | EUR 320 |
| Appeal | EUR 720 |
| Registration of a licence or other right | EUR 200 per design (maximum EUR 1,000 per request) |
The same amounts appeared in the annex introduced by Regulation 2024/2822 from 1 May 2025, so budgets built since then remain valid. Renewals run in five-year periods up to 25 years from filing (Article 13), and the request can be filed in the six months before expiry or, with the late fee, in the six months after (Article 66).
What this means for your business
- Review licence, assignment, co-existence and R&D agreements that cite Regulation 6/2002 and update the article references at the next amendment.
- Update templates: warning letters, invalidity pleadings and internal IP policies should cite Regulation 2026/715.
- Check your renewal calendar against the escalating fees; the fourth renewal costs EUR 700 per design.
- Keep in mind that the EU design covers the 27 Member States only. For Latin America and Africa, protection still comes from Hague designations or national filings.
If you need your EU designs and the related contracts reviewed together, our team for EU design registration, renewal and portfolio management can do it as part of one review.
Where companies get this wrong
- Copying old article numbers into new contracts. It still works legally, but it invites disputes over interpretation.
- Confusing codification with reform. The substantive changes came with Regulation 2024/2822; Regulation 2026/715 restates them.
- Missing renewals in large portfolios, where the late fee adds 25% per design.
- Not recording licences. Under Article 38, some effects against third parties depend on entry in the Register; our IP licensing and transactions team can align contracts and recordals.
Frequently asked questions
Does Regulation (EU) 2026/715 change EU design law?
Not in substance. It codifies Regulation 6/2002 as amended, including the 2024 reform, into a single text with new numbering. The substantive changes, such as the new definitions, animated designs and the repair clause, came from Regulation 2024/2822. Regulation 2026/715 entered into force on 1 July 2026.
Are my existing contracts still valid if they cite Regulation 6/2002?
Yes. Article 163 of Regulation 2026/715 provides that references to the repealed Regulation are construed as references to the new one and read using the correlation table in Annex III. Updating the references at the next amendment avoids confusion over which provision is meant.
How much does it cost to register an EU design?
Under Annex I, the official application fee is EUR 350 for one design and EUR 125 for each additional design in a multiple application, plus EUR 40 if you request deferment of publication. These are EUIPO fees only and do not include professional fees.
Can IP Global Guard update my design portfolio and contracts?
Yes. We review your registered designs, renewal dates and the contracts that refer to them, and prepare and coordinate filings and recordals before the EUIPO, directly where our professionals are entitled to act and otherwise through qualified representatives, with one point of contact.
How IP Global Guard can help with the new EU Design Regulation
A codification is a good moment to check that registrations, renewals and contracts tell the same story. IP Global Guard, the intellectual property services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, manages design portfolios across more than 25 jurisdictions in Europe, Latin America and Africa with one strategy and one billing relationship.
Send us your list of EU designs and the licences or assignments that refer to them. We will map the article references, flag renewals due in the next 12 months and propose the updates. Ask our team for a portfolio review.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the position on its publication date.
