site.bta30% Increase in Counterfeit Goods Seized in EU Compared to 2022 - Interior Minister

According to data from a joint report by the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union and the European Union Intellectual Property Office, in 2024 law enforcement authorities in the European Union seized approximately 112 million counterfeit items with a total value of over EUR 3.8 billion, representing a 30% increase compared to 2022. This data was presented by Interior Minister Daniel Mitov at the opening of a Europol conference "From Click to Crime: Investigating Intellectual Property Crime in the Digital Age" in Sofia.

During the event, Mitov presented Burkhard Muhl, head of the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre at Europol, with an honorary plaque. "Mr Muhl is someone whose strategic vision has significantly strengthened Europe's defence against organized crime, including the serious threat posed by intellectual property crimes," Mitov said. He added that the highly qualified professionals working under Muhl's leadership had provided essential assistance for cross-border operations and effective police cooperation.

Mitov informed the media that the EU loses around EUR 15 billion each year due to intellectual property crime of this type. He emphasized that the production and sale of counterfeit goods, including medicines, cosmetics, car parts and software, pose a threat to the lives and health of EU citizens. The minister added that Bulgaria is making even greater efforts to ensure that the fight against copyright and intellectual property infringement becomes one of the EU's successes. He added that the country is doing quite well in combating these crimes compared to other countries.

Vladimir Dimitrov, Director of Cybersecurity at General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) with the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, noted that that the protection of intellectual property and copyright is a priority for the directorate. He warned that many people who download pirated software end up with viruses and, after a few months, become victims of other cybercrimes because they have compromised their computer configurations.