Brussels – Clothing, accessories, CDs and DVDs, toys, cosmetics, cigarettes. In the 112 million counterfeit products seized by authorities in EU countries in 2024, there is everything—even some new entries, such as electronic cigarettes and vaping devices. The estimated retail value of €3.8 billion is a record, the highest ever recorded.
The data were released today (1 October) by the European Commission and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Browsing through the report, one immediately notices the permeability of the single market: customs authorities seized approximately 20 million articles at EU borders, worth around 1.5 billion. All the others were intercepted while already circulating in the Member States.
According to the EU executive, the Customs Union reform “will play a key role” in the fight against counterfeiting. A fight that is becoming increasingly complex: on the one hand, we are faced with an increase in trade volumes driven by e-commerce, and on the other hand, with the continuous emergence of technological innovations that fuel more sophisticated counterfeiting.
It is a problem that affects both competition and consumer safety. If more than one-third of the seized products are recorded CDs or DVDs (including music, films, and software), 17.8 per cent are toys, which could be defective and pose a danger to children. Among the main categories, according to the number of items seized, clothing accounted for 7.5 per cent, accessories for 6.25 per cent, cigarettes for 4.4 per cent, and perfumes and cosmetics for 3 per cent.
Authorities seized 90 per cent of the volume and value of counterfeit products in seven countries: Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, and Poland. The Italian authorities lead the way: 69.3 per cent of the seized articles were intercepted in the Boot.
In general, the geography of the seizures is not random: these are EU border countries, most of which face the sea or the East. It makes sense, since cargo ships are the most frequently used mode of transport for counterfeit goods, and China is the country from which almost half of the products arrive. In addition to the “usual suspects” of China and Turkey, which account for 42 and 18 per cent of the counterfeit goods, respectively, the unenviable podium also includes the United Arab Emirates for the first time, with 5.5 per cent.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
