INTA leads 24 member associations supporting IP crime inclusion in EU’s EMPACT 2026–2029 policy 

New York, New York—April 18, 2025—Today, 24 leading anticounterfeiting, antipiracy, and intellectual property (IP) member associations have come together to issue a joint statement supporting the inclusion of Intellectual Property Crime within the next European Union EMPACT 2026–2029 policy cycle. This collective effort underscores the urgent need to address IP crime as a sub-priority with its own action plan within the key threat “Fraud, economic and financial crimes” to ensure the continued protection of European citizens and the financial and security integrity of the European Union. 

IP protects brands and product reputations, providing foundational trust in a brand name, company, or product, including the medicines we take or the car parts that keep us safe on the road. However, counterfeit and pirated products account for 5.8 percent of imports into the European Union, with Europol warning that the relative impact of counterfeiting is twice as high for the developed economies of the EU as it is for the rest of the world. Counterfeiters, those who engage in organized crime, and fraudsters all misuse IP to manipulate and deceive consumers, posing significant risks to consumer health and safety, economic prosperity, and the environment. 

Counterfeit consumer products, including medicines, cosmetics, toys, and automotive parts, pose significant risks to consumers. These products are often sold via online channels, including social media and fraudulent websites, compromising the personal and financial information of buyers. The production and distribution of counterfeit products results in financial losses for legitimate brands, damages these brands’ reputations, and erodes consumer trust. Additionally, counterfeit industrial products can have devastating effects on the environment. 

Fraudulent advertising, shopping, and “prize” websites misuse IP to deceive consumers into believing they are purchasing genuine products, resulting in financial losses and compromising personal information. These scams direct legitimate money toward criminal enterprises, providing seed financing for other types of crime. Recruitment scams, phishing, and authorized push payment (APP) fraud schemes misuse IP to trick individuals into providing sensitive information, not only causing harm to consumers but also damaging the reputation of genuine organizations. 

The strategic inclusion of IP Crime within EMPACT 2026-2029 is essential to maintain established cooperation and dedicated resources needed to combat the increasing sophistication of criminals targeting European citizens using stolen or infringing IP to generate illicit revenues. 

“Since the last joint statement on EMPACT, we’ve seen a groundswell of support to include IP crime in EMPACT by an additional 10 member associations, underscoring the vital importance of working together and communicating on key issues like this. We want to send the message that the industry is ready to support consumers and businesses alike to tackle the growing threat of IP crime in the European Union. With IP crime under the next EMPACT policy cycle, the essential coordination among law enforcement, policymakers, and industry stakeholders can continue uninterrupted,” said INTA’s Director of Anticounterfeiting, Alastair Gray. 

The statement also calls for operational measures to effectively combat the misuse of IP; it is crucial to enhance operational collaboration between law enforcement agencies, private sector stakeholders, and international organizations. The statement also calls for industry collaboration, where rights owners and businesses, including SMEs, must register and protect their IP rights and cybersecurity to tackle counterfeiting, IP infringements, and fraud. Finally, the statement calls for online intermediaries, including e-commerce and social media platforms, to implement robust measures to detect and remove counterfeits and IP infringements. 

To read the complete statement, visit EMPACT Joint Statement. 

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