Warsaw, 12/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - The representatives of the member states of the European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy met in Warsaw on 8-9 December. During this meeting of experts, they familiarised themselves with the first version of the “Report on the methodology for collecting and analysing data on counterfeiting and piracy on a European scale”. This study was prepared by Corporation Rand Europe, by request of the European Commission.
The study highlights the lack of an appropriate European legal framework and measures to guarantee the effective application of the rules. The Observatory agreed that the “lack of reliable and objective data, due to the lack of common method and practical tools to collect and analyse data, is holding us back”. This context does not allow players to follow the development of counterfeiting and piracy, or even to detect threats.
The experts on the issue agree that there is a lack of coordination and communication between the national authorities of the member countries. An exchange of practices, in real-time, between the various parties concerned must be set in place. It is a question of pooling information on counterfeiting, its evolution and possible threats to be prevented. Many of the tasks assigned to the Observatory are cross-border in their nature and are based on cooperation and coordination. “In order to be fully effective, they need the commitment and involvement of the 27 member states. The best solution, therefore, would be to develop tools and structures at EU level, so that all member states can benefit from them”, the Commission writes in a report of May 2011. (VW/transl.fl)