Over 152 million counterfeit items, valued at approximately €3.4 billion, were intercepted in the European Union (EU) in 2023, according to a joint report by the European Commission (EC) and the EU Intellectual Property Office.

This marks a 77% increase in the number of items seized compared to 86 million units in 2022, and a 68% increase in value. The surge is largely attributed to the rising number of internal market detentions, continuing a trend observed in recent years.

Top Contributing Countries

Nearly 98% of the total seized goods and 94% of their value were reported by 10 EU Member States. Italy led the pack, accounting for 74% of all seizures, followed by France, Romania, Spain, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, and Greece, which collectively contributed 23% of seizures.

In terms of value, Italy again dominated with 58%, followed by France, Spain, Germany, Hungary, and others.

Key Product Categories

The top five categories of counterfeit goods seized in 2023 were:

1. Games (maintaining the top spot for the second consecutive year).
2. Toys.
3. Recorded CDs/DVDs.
4. Packaging materials.
5. Labels, tags, and stickers.

This highlights a growing trend of local production risk within the EU, where unbranded items are paired with counterfeit labels and packaging to avoid border detection.

Origin of Counterfeit Goods

China remained the leading origin of counterfeit products, accounting for over 56% of seized goods, followed by Hong Kong (9%) and Turkey (8%).

Bulgaria's Role

Bulgaria ranked among the top 10 EU countries for counterfeit seizures, demonstrating its active role in combating the trade of illicit goods.

The increasing detection and interception underline the EU's commitment to intellectual property enforcement and protecting the internal market from counterfeit-related risks.