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EC stats reveal ’06 copycat boost

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On 31 May, the European Commission released details of the anti-counterfeiting seizures it conducted throughout 2006, with the figures indicating a groundswell of trafficking in illegal goods. Perhaps the most alarming revelation is that 250 million knocked-off units were seized last year, whereas the previous year the figure was only 75 million. This makes for an overall increase of 330%.

The Commission has expressed concern over the amount of hazardous articles that have been confiscated. A whopping 60% of the total yield consisted of cigarettes in fake-branded cartons, and imitation pharmaceuticals coming in from India, China and the United Arab Emirates leapt from 500,000 items in 2005 to 2.5 million last year.

A large part of the 2006 seizures can be attributed to Operation DAN, which confiscated 92 shipping containers of fake goods in September, including toys, apparel and auto parts. Focused on shipments arriving from China, the initiative swept through an array of ports in 13 EU member states.

The Commission believes that the figures represent a general diversification in the different kinds of products that counterfeiters have decided to fake. EU taxation and customs commissioner, Laszlo Kovacs, said: ‘Counterfeiting continues to constitute a dangerous threat for our health, safety and the economy. I welcome the work done so far by the customs national administrations.

‘However, I encourage all stakeholders to continue to cooperate and take actions at all appropriate levels: business, national customs administrations, police and other enforcement authorities. The public also has a responsibility here by not being tempted by the cheap fake holiday bargain. International customs cooperation with our major trading partners, in particular China and India, needs to be further implemented.’