According to Article 61 of the European Patent Convention (EPC),

(1) If by a final decision it is adjudged that a person other than the applicant is entitled to the grant of the European patent, that person may, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations: 

(a) prosecute the European patent application as his own application in place of the applicant; 

b) file a new European patent application in respect of the same invention; or 

According to Article 58 of the European Patent Convention (EPC),

A European patent application may be filed by any natural or legal person, or any body equivalent to a legal person by virtue of the law governing it.

According to Article 59 of the European Patent Convention (EPC),

A European patent application may also be filed either by joint applicants or by two or more applicants designating different EPC Contracting States.

According to Article 56 of the European Patent Convention (EPC),

An invention shall be considered as involving an inventive step if, having regard to the state of the art, it is not obvious to a person skilled in the art. If the state of the art also includes documents within the meaning of Article 54, paragraph 3 of EPC (regulating Novelty) these documents shall not be considered in deciding whether there has been an inventive step.

According to Article 53 of the European Patent Convention (EPC), European patents shall not be granted in respect of:

(a) inventions the commercial exploitation of which would be contrary to "ordre public" or morality; such exploitation shall not be deemed to be so contrary merely because it is prohibited by law or regulation in some or all of the Contracting States;