Article 79

1. Where the Office has not issued an ex officio provisional notification of refusal pursuant to Article 193 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 and no opposition has been received by the Office within the opposition period referred to in Article 196(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 and the Office has not issued an ex officio provisional refusal as a result of the third party observations submitted, the Office shall send a statement of grant of protection to the International Bureau indicating that the mark is protected in the Union.

2. For the purposes of Article 189(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001, the statement of grant of protection referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall have the same effect as a statement by the Office that a notice of refusal has been withdrawn.