McCreevy: Fake goods threaten EU economy

COUNTERFEITING is becoming a serious threat to people’s health and safety and to the economic future of the European Union, Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has warned.

Mr McCreevy ruled out more legislation to tackle a problem which costs Europe thousands of jobs and billions of euro in lost tax and revenue but did call on industry to co-operate better with the relevant authorities.

A conference on counterfeiting and piracy heard yesterday that fake medicines are one of the fastest growing areas for counterfeiters with seizures by customs growing threefold last year.