WIPO’s International Bureau issued a Hague System practice update on 7 August 2026 confirming that multiple international design applications designating the European Union are no longer constrained by the requirement that all designs belong to the same Locarno class. As the EU design reform is implemented, applicants can therefore place designs from different classes—such as a product casing, a graphical user interface and packaging—in a single Hague application designating the EU, subject to the revised multiple-application fee structure.
The procedural change makes portfolio filing noticeably more flexible and may alter the cost comparison between the Hague route and direct EU filings. Consumer-electronics and cross-border brands can now consider grouping designs around a product launch or commercial portfolio rather than splitting them first by Locarno class. That flexibility should still be used selectively: combining designs can simplify filing and reduce fees, but disclosure timing, portfolio structure and the consequences of later disputes remain sensible reasons to separate some designs.
