Customs controls: EU customs stopped fake and potentially dangerous goods worth nearly €760 million in 2019

Fake goods with a retail value of over €760 million were seized at the EU's external borders in 2019, according to a new report published by the European Commission. While this figure represents a €20 million increase in value compared to 2018, the number of detentions increased by over 30% in the same period. This annual report gives an overview of the work carried out by EU customs officials – responsible for the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) – at the EU's external borders.

Overall in 2019, member state customs authorities made over 90,000 seizures of goods that infringed on intellectual property rights, consisting of almost 41 million individual items (an increase of 53% compared to the previous year). Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said: "Fake goods not only affect legitimate businesses, but are also a threat to the health, safety and security of our citizens and consumers. The European Commission remains committed to fight this illegal activity and supports member states in their efforts to bar the entry of counterfeit products into our Single Market.” A press release and a factsheet are available online.

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