After filing your Trademark, either via online or offline procedures your Trademark will be processed by EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) to check that it can be registered.

6.1 The Examination period
The Scheme shows you an overview over the verification procedure taken by EUIPO for the European community trademarks.
If an error is detected or an objection will be identified the trademark office will send an official communication via the user area. An answer has to be sent within two months after reception to remedy any deficiencies. You can apply twice for additional 2 months extension to prepare your answer. The first request will usually be granted but the second one needs to be justified.
In some procedures, applicants (or their representative) will be contacted by phone by official examiners form the trademark office to remedy simple objections.
If the office believes that the answer does not fit the regulations or the concerns of the office, or if no respond is made, office will issue a final decision, partly or entirely refusing the application. Alternatively, office might amend the application details if appropriate. (For example, by deleting the description or adding a colour claim.) It is possible to appeal in case customers are not happy with the decision.
If an application is refused it is still possible to convert an EU trademark application into a national registration, if no conflicts exist.
If there is no objection the trademark will be published in the 23 official languages in the EU. Means that the fact that you have applied for this particular trademark for the specified goods and services will be published.
6.2 Opposition
From the date of publication onwards, third parties who believe that the trademark should not be registered have three months to object.
The two motives for objecting:
a. Earlier right
The third party has an earlier right (or more than one) and believes that there will be a conflict if another mark is registered.
In order to prevent a mark from being registered, an opposition against the filing of a trademark has to be filed. This opposition is not free and costs a fee of 320,00EUR. If an opposition is filed the mark will be subject to – and must succeed in – opposition proceedings. An opposition can be filed within three months after a trademark has been published.
The procedure of opposition:
One in five applications for EU Trademarks are opposed by owners of trademarks that are already on the market. Trademark offices decide on these disputes after both parties, the applicant and the opponent, have submitted evidence and arguments. The applicant can minimise the risk of opposition by searching for potential conflicts before they apply.
All opposition decisions are published online, and all adversely affected parties have a right to appeal.
- Absolute ground
A third party considers that a trademark should not have been accepted.
Third party can invoke any absolute ground that might fit. Absolute grounds are requirements that your trademark need to satisfy like being distinctive, non-descriptive of the business you are in and clearly represented. To oppose a trademark registration, a corresponding communication has to be sent to the trademark office explaining why the trademark should not be registered. This is what is called a “third party observation” and is free of charge. However, it should only be used when a serious reason for contesting exists.
Once the observations are received, the Office will issue a receipt to the person making the observations and the observation will be communicated to the applicant. Thereafter, the observer will not receive any further communication form the office. In particular, the observer will not be informed about the outcome of any re-examination of the application. Observers wishing to be informed about of the status can access the information via eSearch.
- Registration
Proof of registration. If nobody files an opposition or third-party observations, the trademark is registered, and the registration is published. This is done to show that everyone is aware that this trademark with the respective classes of goods and services is registered and not available any longer.
The publication of the registration is free of charge and a certificate of registration is issued.
The certificate is available for download two days after publication. No paper copy of the certificate of registration will be issued. Certified or uncertified copies of the registration certificate may be requested. This may be necessary if you want to claim the priority of a trademark. Certain jurisdictions will accept a reference from eSearch while others might request a more official document.