12/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - Janelly Fourtou of France (ALDE) who was the European Parliament's rapporteur on the directive to ensure respect for intellectual property rights in the internal market of the EU under the previous legislative period, has welcomed the European Commission's new strategy to make third countries apply intellectual property laws (see EUROPE of 11 November, pages 9 and 10). "The problem of failing to respect intellectual property laws is now incredibly widespread. The directive for which I was rapporteur was just a first step. There is no point in making the internal market healthier if this is used for the transit or importation of counterfeit goods", she said.