New EU/China agreement on intellectual property rights

The EU and China have agreed to strengthen cooperation on protecting intellectual property rights, as Commissioner László Kovács, responsible for Taxation and Customs, signed an action plan with the Chinese Ambassador Song.

Commissioner Kovács said the agreement was a step forward in curbing the export of fake goods from China. “Since my first visit to China, there has been visible progress. China is aligning its customs legislation to the EU rules, and has increased controls to protect Intellectual Property Rights.”

Despite this, China remains a main source of around 60 per cent of fake goods seized at EU borders. The protection of intellectual property rights is a major issue for EU businesses, for whom counterfeit and pirated products pose a serious challenge.

The plan includes: setting up a working group to study the flow of counterfeit goods between China and the EU; the exchange of information on intellectual property rights risks; operational cooperation between key ports and airports; exchange of officials; and developing partnerships with the private sector in China in order to better target suspect shipments.