Defend your Rights

Application for Action (AFA) 

As of 3 October 2024, AFAs must be filed electronically through the IP Enforcement Portal (IPEP) or one of the two national trader portals mentioned above. 

The AFA can be a national or Union application depending on the IPT on which it is based. When a Union AFA is granted in one EU country, it has the same legal effect in all other EU countries where action was requested. 

Manual for AFAs, amendments and extensions 

Exchange of information through COPIS database

In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 608/2013 on customs enforcement IPR, the Commission has set up a central database called COPIS (Counterfeit and anti-Piracy Information System), which is operational since 1 January 2014. 

COPIS is an EU customs system to facilitate cooperation and sharing of information on IPR protection. It covers all customs actions related to IPR enforcement at the EU external border, i.e. the central management of the lifecycle of AFAs and the information on identified infringements. 

COPIS receives data provided by EU countries, stores it at a central level and dispatches the information, which can also be used for statistical purposes. It allows the exchange of information in a pre-defined format between the IPR-competent customs departments of EU countries, the Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office. 

Note: right holders do not submit information directly to the COPIS system.

Submitting an AFA 

Right holders wishing to submit an AFA should connect to the IPEP Trader Portal for COPIS or to the national portals of Germany or Spain. 

• IPEP Trader Portal for COPIS
• Germany
• Spain 

The IPEP Trader Portal for COPIS is a single electronic access point deployed at EU level for submitting an application (national or Union) to any EU country’s competent customs department. The national portals of Germany and Spain are only for electronic submission of an application to be issued by the competent customs department of one of these countries. It can be a national application or a Union application. 

Note that: 

• The holder of the decision should address any further communication, amendments or requests for extension of the decision via the same portal used for the initial application.
• By way of derogation, right holders who previously filed their AFAs in the Italian trader portal Falstaff will have to file new AFAs via IPEP. The previous AFAs lodged via Falstaff will then expire or will be revoked.
• Where applications have been filed using paper-based forms, any further communication or requests for extension of the decision should be sent using the IPEP Trader Portal for COPIS or the national portals of the two EU countries mentioned above. 

Further documentation: 

For right holders trading with China, a specific User Guide exists

Access to IPEP and UUM&DS 

Access to the IPEP Trader Portal for COPIS is validated and managed through the Uniform User Management and Digital Signature System (UUM&DS) or via an account in IPEP. 

The UUM&DS system provides secure and authorised access to the EU customs electronic systems. 

UUM&DS

To connect with the systems, please use one of the supported internet browsers: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. 

• IPEP Trader Portal for COPIS  – the Economic Operators in EU countries can register their applications by two ways: authentication through UUM&DS or IPEP
• Central Uniform User Management and Digital Signature System – UUM&DS – EU traders may manage authorisation assignments (delegations) 

Further documentation: 

• IPEP Trader Portal AFA filling user guide
• National Service Desks Contact Points
• Legal notice containing a disclaimer, a copyright notice and rules on both personal data protection and the use of the EU emblem by third parties 

EORI Number 

To access IPEP, right holders and their representatives need to hold a valid Economic Operators Registration and Identification number (EORI number) and the appropriate roles (cust-executive profile) assigned to access the Intellectual Property Enforcement Portal (IPEP).   

To obtain an EORI number, applicants and representatives need to contact the competent customs authority for EORI registration in the EU country where they are established. Persons not established in the customs territory of the Union should request the assignment of an EORI number to the customs authorities of the EU country responsible for the place where they first lodge a declaration or apply for a decision. 

See: Economic Operators Registration and Identification number (EORI number) 

Let the authorities know 

Two forms have been elaborated in close collaboration with industry: ‘red alert’ and ‘new trends’. The aim is to provide a mechanism to notify the relevant customs administrations swiftly, in a clear structured way about specific information or general trends concerning suspected IPR infringing goods. 

• Red Alert - to notify customs about urgent, specific information
• XLS / PDF
• New Trends - to notify customs about new trends
• XLS / PDF 

The forms should be sent to the relevant contact point below. 

Alerts can also be sent via the EUIPO’s IP Enforcement Portal. Further information about the use of the alert function in IPEP can also be found in a tutorial called “How to send alerts to enforcement authorities”. 

Related Links

• Intellectual property rights and geographical indications | DG TRADE
• Intellectual property | DG GROW
• IPR Helpdesk
• China IPR Helpdesk