EU seizes €1bn fake goods, with China the main offender

Fake goods worth in the region of €1bn were seized at EU borders last year.

Almost 40m products suspected of violating intellectual property rights were detained by EU customs in 2012, according to the European Commission’s annual report on customs actions.

This is less than in 2011 but the value of the intercepted goods is still high, at nearly €1bn. China continues to be the main source of fakes.

Cigarettes (30.86%) were the most frequently detained item. Other goods included bottles, lamps, glue, batteries, and washing powders, which accounted for 11.76%, and packaging materials 9.84%.

Most fake items (70%) were detained through postal services and courier packages, with medicines accounting for 23%.

In Ireland, 142,110 articles were detained during 2012, a 3% fall on the 2011 figure of 146,472.

However, the number of overall seizures rose by 34%, from 4,165 in 2011 to 5,580 last year.

In the UK, over 4m articles were detained during 2012, a 13% drop from 2011 (4.6m), but still among some of the highest EU reporting figures.

Italy recorded the highest number of articles seized (6.1m) — a drop of 80% on 2011 figures — followed by Malta (6.06m), Spain (3.1m), Germany (2.5m), and Belgium (2.3m).

Algirdas Semeta, the EU commissioner for taxation, customs, anti-fraud, and audit, said: “Customs is the EU’s first line of defence against fake products which undermine legal businesses.

“[The] report shows the intensity and importance of the work being done by Customs in this field.

“I will continue to push for even greater protection of intellectual property rights in Europe, through our work with international partners, the industry, and member states.”

While China continued to be the main source of fake goods, Morocco was the top source for foodstuffs, Hong Kong for CD/DVDs and other tobacco products (mainly electronic cigarettes and liquid fillings for them), and Bulgaria was the biggest offender for packaging materials.

Around 90% of all detained cases were either destroyed or a court case was initiated to determine the infringement.

The EU’s 2020 strategy underlines the protection of intellectual property rights as a cornerstone of the bloc’s economy and a key driver for its further growth in areas such as research, innovation, and employment.

In June, a new regulation on intellectual property rights enforcement at customs was adopted to better equip authorities and ensure certainty for inventors that the fruits of their creations are being protected.

An EU Customs Action Plan was adopted by the European Council in Dec 2012 to combat intellectual property rights infringements for the years 2013 to 2017.

Top seizures

Top categories of fake goods seized in Ireland:

*1. Sport shoes — €894,205.

*2. Perfumes and cosmetics — €605,662.

*3. Parts and accessories for mobile phones — €210,637.

*4. Labels, tags, stickers — €47,059.

*5. Other body care items — €29,751.