Report on the implementation of the EU Customs Action Plan to combat intellectual property right infringements for the years 2013 to 2017

Background and further information:

The customs administrations of the European Union are competent to detain goods suspected of infringing intellectual property rights (IPR) that are protected by EU and national laws. Customs work in partnership with stakeholders, such as rights-holders, other national bodies and institutions responsible for the enforcement and application of intellectual property legislation, and the European Commission.

The first EU Customs Action Plan to combat IPR infringements was endorsed by the Council in 2009. The objective was to allow customs to follow a common approach on IPR enforcement and focus their attention on the areas posing the greatest risks.

Recognising the need to provide customs authorities with the necessary tools to address new trends in international trade of goods infringing those rights, the Council adopted in December 2012 a Resolution on an EU Customs Action Plan to combat IPR infringements for the years 2013 to 2017.

This second EU Action Plan contained four strategic objectives:
- Effectively implementing and monitoring the new EU legislation on customs enforcement of IPR.
- Tackling major trends in trade of IPR infringing goods.
- Tackling trade of IPR infringing goods throughout the international supply chain.
- Strengthening cooperation with the European Observatory on infringements of IPRs, which is part of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and with law enforcement authorities.

The Action Plan invited the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, to conduct annual reviews of its implementation and to submit to the Council a final report in 2017.

This final report has been prepared by the Commission services in cooperation with Member States customs experts. It follows the general structure of the Action Plan and includes a set of recommendations on how to go forward.