European Commission: 86 million fake items worth over 2 billion found in the EU. Record numbers in Italy

According to a joint report by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission released today, approximately 86 million fake goods were found in the EU (at the EU external border and in the internal market) in 2022. According to the report, the estimated value of fake items detained in the EU amounts to over €2 billion, an increase of approximately 3% in 2022 compared to 2021. The report also shows that the most seized products, in terms of number of items, were games, clothing, packaging material, cigarettes and recorded CDs/DVDs. “These items accounted for more than 72% of the products” seized.

“While the number of items detained at the EU border in 2022 went down by 43% in 2022 compared to 2021, their value increased by 11% compared to the previous year, because more items with a higher domestic retail value were detained than in the previous year”.

Ten Member States (Italy, France, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Hungary, Greece and Portugal) account for over 96% of the total number of fake items detained in 2022 in the EU. Italy accounts for over half of the total number of fake items, and for over 33% in terms of estimated value.

As in previous years, China remains the main country of origin for the majority of fake goods entering the EU in 2022, followed by Türkiye and Hong Kong.
Gianni Borsa