Brussels, 11/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - UNIFAB, the French group of manufacturers for international protection of intellectual property rights, has published five criteria for the proper functioning of the European Counterfeiting Observatory, which the September 2008 Competitiveness Council decided to set up (see EUROPE 9749 and 9742).
The criteria recommended by UNIFAB are: 1) that it holds its first meeting in the first half of 2009 (rather than in 2010 as the Commission is expected to recommend); 2) to keep a light, flexible structure with no more than three EU officials and national delegations from national civil services and the main Member State anti-counterfeiting association; 3) deciding on the work programme as soon as possible with annual publication of three special lists (of the top 100 countries where the most counterfeiting is carried out, the top 100 tourist spots where counterfeit goods are sold and the top 100 websites selling pirated and counterfeit goods) and having a special item on the agenda for each meeting, like internet regulation, EU awareness raising campaigns, negotiations with China, etc; 4) ensuring the observatory does not become a mere talking shop - harmonising national criminal penalties and the number of seizures and means of coercion, starting a European anti-counterfeiting day; and 5) appointing a chair of the observatory with a two-year term of office. 'Some 4.6 million fake articles seized in 2007 in France, 150,000 jobs lost per year in Europe, €200 billion lost in world trade each year… The figures speak for themselves. We need a rapid and practical European response. The clock is ticking,' commented UNIFAB president Marc-Antoine Jamet in a press release. (M.B. trans fl)