Brussels, 05/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - The day after adopting the communication “Global Europe” , which lays the foundations for the EU's new trade policy (see EUROPE 9278 and 9279), the Commission published on Thursday the results of a survey of European businesses on their experience with Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement outside the EU in 2005. This survey has helped the Commission to define a list of priority countries and regions in the fight against piracy and counterfeiting. While not excluding the possibility of taking out criminal proceedings at the WTO, the Commission says in a press release that it is not creating a black list. It is focussing on cooperation, such as technical assistance and exchange of good practice. The results of the survey will also make European businesses aware of the risks they may face when dealing with certain third countries and of the need to protect their rights outside the EU.
China, which accounts for two thirds of counterfeit goods seized at Community borders, is the number one target for the Commission. It is, however, the country where the EU has set up the most in-depth cooperation to address the problem. Then come the countries with high levels of production, transit and/or consumption of counterfeit goods: Russia, Ukraine, Chile and Turkey, which have given the EU firm commitments on adopting the highest standards of IPR enforcement, but need to considerably step up their efforts to tackle serious deficiencies. Finally come the countries and regions with high levels of production, transit and/or consumption of IP infringing goods, with which the EU is considering enhanced trade agreements with a closer focus on IPR enforcement: South Korea, ASEAN, with a particular focus on Thailand Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, Mercosur, with a particular focus on Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.
On Thursday, the anti-counterfeiting association Unifab welcomed the “strong political signal” that Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson had sent out on Wednesday, re-affirming his desire to go further in having intellectual property rights respected and threatening to refer any recalcitrant countries to the WTO. “The strategic partnerships undertaken by the EU over many years with numerous third countries to combat counterfeiting have seen a gradual recession in this scourge, but today it is essential to raise the pressure on non-compliant countries,” it said in a press release. (eh)