Ministers from 25 EU member states voted today to go ahead with a simpler, cheaper patent system in the European Union, leaving behind Italy and Spain who are both unhappy their languages will not be used.

The ministers approved a new system aimed at cutting costs and streamlining the process to register patents around the 27-nation union, said the European Council.

The European Commission will draft legislation to set up the regime, which aims to help European firms compete better with rivals in China and other rapidly growing economies.

The proposed system stipulates the official languages for patents as English, French and German - Italy and Spain want their languages included in the translation regime.

The current European process requires separate patents to be registered in each EU member state and translated in full into its national language. That adds to the expense, making a European patent cost as much as €20,000, roughly 10 times more than its US equivalent.

The European Parliament gave approval last month for ministers to use the system of "enhanced cooperation" to go ahead despite Italian and Spanish objections.

The future unitary patent would be automatically valid throughout the territory of the 25 EU member states in the language in which it has been granted. Spain and Italy can join the scheme whenever they choose too.