New moves needed to handle counterfeiting crisis

By Martin Banks

Date: 27/05/04

EU ENLARGEMENT should act as a "wake up call" to Europe's police forces in the fight against counterfeiting, says a senior UK police officer.

John Newton, a crime intelligence officer with Interpol, says anti-counterfeiting efforts need to be stepped up as a result of the Union's expansion.

"The removal of internal borders and the subsequent reduction in the numbers of customs officers, coupled with the extension of the EU's border towards the east, can only make the task of preventing illegal imports far harder," he said.

"We need to galvanize Europe's police forces and other law-enforcement agencies in the fight against the counterfeiters."

Newton, a detective superintendent on secondment from London's Metropolitan Police to Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, was speaking in Brussels yesterday (26 May) at the first global congress on combating counterfeiting.

Customs seized almost 85 million counterfeit or pirated goods at the EU's borders in 2002 and 50m in the first half of last year.

But Newton said the onus was on police forces, rather than customs, to tackle counterfeiting, which serves to finance terrorism.

"In addition to historical links between counterfeiting and organized crime, some terrorist groups are now also using this type of trade to finance their activities."

Police forces across Europe need to allocate more resources to combat counterfeiting and make better use of existing resources, he added.

The congress was told that counterfeit products (including everyday items such as baby food, cosmetics, vehicle parts and medicines) are thought to exceed 6% of global trade.

Although two thirds of counterfeit goods seized in Europe in 2002 came from Asia, there is evidence criminals are now increasingly shipping their products around the world for final assembly and distribution.

Michel Danet, secretary- general of the Brussels-based World Customs Organization (WCO), called on the EU's new member states to step up efforts.

"New members have to work harder with organizations such as Interpol and the WCO in addressing this issue," he said.

At the first global conference on combating counterfeiting in Brussels on 26 May 2004 there were calls for anti-counterfeiting efforts to be stepped up as a result of the European Union's expansion.