Rule 9

1. The European Patent Office shall be divided administratively into Directorates-General, to which the departments specified in  Article 15(a) to (e), and the services set up to deal with legal matters and the internal administration of the Office, shall be assigned.

2. Each Directorate-General shall be directed by a Vice-President. The assignment of a Vice-President to a Directorate-General shall be decided by the Administrative Council, after the President of the European Patent Office has been consulted.