According to the customs statistics published by the European Commission, 15% more counterfeits – around 5 million products – were confiscated in 2015 than in the previous year. The value of the confiscated articles climbed from 617 to 642 million euro. Tobacco and toys accounted for most of the counterfeits, followed by toiletries, food and beverages, clothing and personal accessories, as well as mobile phone components and accessories.
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Notably, the confiscations in specific categories of goods fluctuated strongly in comparison to 2014: While the amount of food and beverages, auto parts, and fashion accessories increased by more than 50% in comparison to the previous year, EU customs officials registered a significant decrease in counterfeit alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as well as jewellery.
The most counterfeits were confiscated in Greece, France, the Netherlands, Romania, and Slovenia. Germany, on the other hand, experienced a significant decrease from approx. 3.2 million to some 2.3 million confiscated articles. The number of confiscation cases in Germany also fell by 50%, from around 43,000 to approx. 22,000.
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As in the previous year, the 2015 list of the confiscated articles‘ countries of origin was led by China, with around 41%, followed by Hong Kong (9%), Montenegro (17%), Malysia (9%), and Benin (8%).
The cooperation between private enterprises and customs officials was often decisive for the successes as less than 2.5% of all customs confiscations in 2015 took place on official initiative. Nearly 98% of all seizures were preceded by complaints issued by the brand owners. The amount of complaints leaped from only 21,000 to more than 33,000 in 2015.
Although the survey of the European Commission lends insight into the extent of product and brand piracy in the EU, experts estimate the number of unknown counterfeiting cases is several times higher. “Counterfeiting remains a massive problem and no one knows the true scale of it. Given the size of the EU economy and the many channels to the EU single market, I suggest the value is at least 10, if not 100, times bigger than the reported figure,” explained Iain Connor from the business law firm Pinson Masons in London.
Pierre Moscovici, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, also highlights the gravity of the situation: “I’ve witnessed first-hand the excellent work of customs officials across the EU. But the criminal activity which swamps our internal market with fake and illegal products shows no sign of abating. The Commission will continue to work with customs authorities, international partners and industry to ensure a high level of protection for intellectual property rights in the EU.“
