Frequently, members of the same patent family are published in a number of different languages. Consequently, the examiner has a choice regarding the language of the document which is cited in the search report. If the relevant technical content does not differ between the various family members and they are all published before the earliest priority date of the application, then all of the members of the family are of equal relevance to the application. In such cases, the examiner should choose the document to be cited by virtue of its language of publication and according to the following list, the most preferred language being given first:

In the cases (2) and (3), the examiner might consider citing an abstract in an official language of the EPO, instead of the original document.