Market surveillance role in combatting counterfeit products

Background

In 2007, the UNECE Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies adopted Recommendation M on Use of Market Surveillance Infrastructure as a Complementary Means to Protect consumers and Users against Counterfeit Goods. This recommendation establishes the importance of having all agencies at the border working together to combat counterfeit products. Market surveillance agencies can play a key role with their direct link to many private sector stakeholders and testing laboratories. After checking compliance with all applicable requirements of the national legislation, it is also possible for market surveillance authorities to check if the goods might infringe intellectual property rights, to involve other relevant authorities and intellectual property right holders. This involvement in the combat against counterfeiting is not to replace other enforcement agencies, but to allow market surveillance agencies to also contribute; the main objective being a cooperation and coordination of market surveillance activities between market surveillance, customs and other authorities concerned.