Manila, Nov 18: The European Union urged Asia today to toughen its stance against the multi-billion-dollar racket in counterfeit goods, saying the region had become a key trans-shipment point for fakes.

Led by counterfeiters in Thailand, Asia accounts for two-thirds of all fake goods confiscated along the borders of EU states, according to fresh statistics gathered by EU's Directorate General of Taxation and Customs, officials said.
"This problem is serious, has created a shadow economy and supersedes existing structures in investment, innovation and trade and stifles creativity," Rainer Osterwalder, spokesman for the European Patent Office, said.
"What is worse is it puts consumers' health and security at serious risk," he said, citing a list of fake goods to Europe from Asia.
Osterwalder was speaking after the opening today of an international conference in manila on the role of customs in combating counterfeit and piracy organised by the Germany-based European Patent Office, the European Commission and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.
Officials from EU's Directorate General of Taxation and Customs said Thailand was a top trans-shipment point for Asia's counterfeit goods seized in Europe in 2002. And, China is the biggest manufacturer of such goods in the region.
Bureau Report