Overview

• Eva Schewior emphasized that buying fake goods abroad carries heavy fines and inadvertently funds organized criminal networks.
• In 2024 customs intercepted illegal brand imitations in 16,857 cases and destroyed goods valued at €417 million, more than twice the amount seized a year earlier.
• Spain and Italy have begun imposing on-the-spot penalties on tourists caught purchasing counterfeits, reflecting closer EU-wide enforcement.
• The most commonly seized items include football jerseys, luxury watches and sunglasses sold by street vendors in popular vacation spots.
• Customs authorities have stepped up checks on travelers and postal shipments to disrupt distribution channels during the summer peak.