Over 40 million counterfeit goods were intercepted by European authorities in 2015, a 15% increase (5 million more items) on the previous year.
These figures were revealed in the latest annual report on customs enforcement activities, published on Friday 23 September. It is difficult to say, however, whether this increase is due to a stronger monitoring system or an upsurge in counterfeiting.
The report provides figures on each of the categories of goods seized, the countries of origin, the intellectual property rights concerned and the forms of transport used. It contains a certain consistency: cigarettes remain at the top of the list of good seized (27%), while everyday products which could be dangerous to the health and safety of consumers, such as food and beverages, toiletries and medicines, account jointly for 25.8% of the total.
China, once again, was the main country of origin, with 41% of goods seized coming from that country. Thereafter come Montenegro, the biggest originator of counterfeit cigarettes; Hong Kong, for counterfeit mobile phones and accessories; Malaysia, the main supplier of counterfeit toiletries; and Benin, which specialises in counterfeit foodstuffs.
In more than 91% of cases, the goods were either destroyed or a court case was initiated to determine an infringement in cooperation with the rights-holder of the brand which is being infringed. “I’ve witnessed first-hand the excellent work of customs officials across the EU in dealing with counterfeit and sometimes dangerous goods”, stated Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, adding: “The Commission will continue to work with customs authorities, international partners and industry to ensure a high level of protection for intellectual property rights in the EU”. The EU, he said, has been applying new tougher rules (Regulation 608/2013) since the start of 2015 to ensure the protection of intellectual property rights during customs clearance. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)