Officials from the European Commission and US government met with industry representatives from both sides of the Atlantic in Geneva on Thursday, to review progress in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy.
The EU and US authorities are expanding their efforts to combat the rising economic damage to industry, and the safety and health hazards posed by stolen technologies and fake products.
Intellectual property rights experts in Brussels and Washington have established close and regular contacts on the most important issues, and are focusing attention on key problem countries.
US and EU Customs officials are also successfully participating in joint targeting and examination of shipments in search of counterfeits. 2007 will see further close cooperation.
Speaking with regard to the meeting on Thursday, Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen, who has responsibility for enterprise and industry policy, observed that:
“Effective enforcement of intellectual property rights is crucial for our industry and to protect Europe’s citizens. Too often poor imitations of all kinds of products, including medicines, are a threat to the health and safety of the buyer. Today’s meeting has clearly shown that we are making real progress.”
US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez emphasized the positive results achieved over the last year but highlighted the importance of doing more, announcing that:
“We cannot let American innovators - the creative forces behind our knowledge-based economies - be left to fend for themselves. Protecting IP is not only critical to protecting consumer safety, but also to ensure a stable and growing economy. I am encouraged by the progress we have made with our European partners, but to sustain and build on these economic gains, more must be done. Our next steps will be critical and I look forward to our ongoing partnership.”
The reinforcing of cooperation between the US and the EU is a result of the US-EU IPR Action Strategy on enforcement agreed in June 2006. A full balance sheet on the first year’s operation of the Action Strategy will be drawn up at the EU-US Economic Summit in June 2007.
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