Article 28 - Date of filing

1.   The date of filing of a design application shall be the date on which the documents containing the information specified in Article 25(1), points (a), (b) and (c), are filed with the office by the applicant.

2.   Without prejudice to paragraph 1 of this Article, the date of filing may be accorded where one or more of the elements required by Article 26 are missing, provided that the representation of the design as a whole is sufficiently clear within the meaning of Article 25(1), point (c).

3.   Member States may, in addition, provide that the accordance of the date of filing is to be subject to the payment of a fee as referred to in Article 25(2).