144

If the WO-ISA established by the EPO as ISA contained comments or objections to the international application ("negative WO-ISA"), the EPO as IPEA will consider the WO-ISA as the first written opinion for the purposes of international preliminary examination (see point 142). The WO-ISA will not, however, be reissued as a first written opinion of the EPO as IPEA. It follows that the EPO as IPEA will proceed to issue the IPRP Chapter II immediately after expiry of the time limit for filing the demand (see points 116 and 141). This procedure applies irrespective of whether the applicant has filed arguments and/or amendments to be taken into account by the EPO as IPEA, since as a rule no second written opinion is established.