Two thirds of the international preliminary examination fee are refunded if the applicant, during international preliminary examination, has neither asked for a detailed preliminary examination nor filed any amendments under Article 19 or 34(2) PCT or arguments (see the Notice of the President of the EPO dated 2 November 2001, OJ 11/2001, 539) (see also E-IX, 4.1).

For international applications filed on or after 1 January 2004 the EPO has discontinued the rationalised international preliminary examination procedure (OJ EPO 2001, 539). Consequently, no request for ‘'detailed'' examination will be required, and the fee refund for the rationalised procedure is no longer available. The rationalised procedure will however still apply to international applications filed before 01.01.2004 even if the demand for preliminary examination is filed after that date (Notice from the EPO, OJ EPO 2004, 305).