Brussels, 04/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is to hold a seminar on combating counterfeiting and piracy from 4 to 7 April in Budapest. One hundred and thirty experts from the Member States' customs administrations, major EU trading partners and representatives of the economic world will exchange their experiences and information on the latest techniques available in this field. Visits are foreseen to various Hungarian border posts to take part in operational controls.
According to studies between 1998 and 1999, counterfeiting is said to account for 5 to 7% of world trade. To these economic consequences can be added the risk for the health and safety of consumers who fall victim to counterfeit products. The EU's fight against counterfeiting includes better cooperation with the holders of intellectual property rights, between national customs administrations and with trade partners, a European Commission press release states. In February, the Commission published 2003 statistics on counterfeiting and piracy, which show a phenomenon that is constantly on the rise and constantly changing (see EUROPE of 9 February 2005).