Report on EU customs enforcement of intellectual property rights : results at the EU border 2016

The annual publication of the result of customs actions at the EU external borders provides an opportunity to measure the scale of customs actions to enforce IPR. The enforcement of IPR by customs is a priority for the Commission and the Member States. Innovation and creativity are the engines of our economy. It is important to provide right-owners with the certainty that the fruit of their inventions will be protected. The competitiveness of European businesses depends on it. For many years, customs administrations in the Union have been known for their high standard of enforcement of IPR. In 2016, customs authorities made over 63 000 detentions, consisting of a total of 41.3 million articles. The domestic retail value of the detained articles represented more than 672 million euros. This report contains statistical information about the detentions made under customs procedures and includes data on the description, quantities and value of the goods, their provenance, the means of transport and the type of intellectual property right that may have been infringed.