Every year, the European Commission jointly with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) publish a report describing the seizures of articles suspected of infringing intellectual property rights (IPR) in the internal market and at the EU border such as trademarks, designs, copyrights, and patents. The main findings of 2024 report are presented on this page.
Scope and value
Approximately 112 million counterfeit goods were detained at the EU external border and in the internal market in 2024, according to a joint report published by the EUIPO and the Commission on 1 October 2025. The estimated value of these goods is €3.8 billion, reaching its highest recorded level.
The most common counterfeit products detained in the EU were games, toys, recorded CDs/DVDs, labels/tags/stickers and packaging material, together accounting for nearly three-quarters of all detained products. Infringers attempted to avoid detection by shipping cheap packaging materials separately from the valuable, unbranded goods and assembling them within the EU.
Regarding the detentions at the EU border, these decreased by 3 % in 2024. However, despite this decrease, the total number of detained articles increased from 17.5 million in 2023 to almost 20 million in 2024 (representing a 12 % increase). On top, the estimated value of detained goods at the EU border almost doubled in 2024, hitting a ten-year high of €1.5 billion.
The report warns that e-commerce growth, and geopolitical shifts strain enforcement systems, stressing the need for enhanced customs controls and stronger intellectual property verification to safeguard consumers and EU industries from intellectual property infringements
Source and destination
Seven EU countries (Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Poland) accounted for almost 90 % of the total number of fake items detained in the EU in 2024.
When it comes to EU border enforcement only, ten Member States accounted for almost 85 % of the volume and the value of detentions. Germany, Greece, France, the Netherlands and Malta appear in the top 10 both in terms of number of counterfeit goods detained and their share in the estimated value of the detained articles.
As in previous years, China continues to be the main source of counterfeit goods entering the EU, followed by Türkiye. For the first time, the United Arab Emirates entered the top three countries of origin for counterfeit goods. Postal and express courier services remain the most common means of transport for these goods, highlighting the need for increased vigilance in these areas.
Report
The report is based on figures provided by police, customs and market surveillance authorities from EU countries in 2024. It is published by DG TAXUD and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and offers a unique insight into the efforts of EU enforcers to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) at both the EU border and in the internal market.
The report also illustrates the scale and scope of IPR infringement in the EU. This enables policymakers to substantiate their priorities and policies with evidence-based information while allowing enforcement authorities to develop targeted countermeasures to combat the issue.
IP Enforcement Detentions Dashboard
Previous reports
EU enforcement of intellectual property rights – 2023
EU enforcement of intellectual property rights – 2022
EU enforcement of intellectual property rights – 2021