At the opening of the conference the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism stressed that: “It is the will and one of the government's priorities is to accompany the trade to face the challenge of counterfeiting successfully”. He recognized that the illegal sale of counterfeit products is a multifaceted problem, against which it is necessary to fight for the damage to the legitimate rights of companies and trade professionals, essential for economic growth and development. According to the Minister, one of the key points is to have a common work framework between the different public administrations, announcing the implementation of a National Plan that will be available in the coming months.
Next, Fernando Valdés Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism presented the “Report on measures against activities that violate industrial property rights”. Among its conclusions we can highlight that counterfeiting in Spain has led to the destruction of 67,000 direct jobs and some 6,175 million euros of lost income for merchants.
During the break, Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, offered a press conference in which she commented on her ministry's plans in the fight against counterfeiting. can you see her here.
The Conference ended with the round table "The fight against counterfeiting: experiences at different levels", in which, among other personalities, Concepción Díaz de Villegas, General Director of Commerce and Entrepreneurship of the Madrid City Council, took part, who highlighted that the City of Madrid It has powers to fight against the illicit itinerant sale of counterfeit products or those that are not controlled for food, either through police actions or with actions of awareness and sensitization aimed at citizens, noting that it has been It has been observed that the latter have a greater impact in solving this problem. The awareness campaigns developed by the City Council are not against people but against illegal activities that violate intellectual property rights, behind which organized crime is. Finally, he highlighted the importance of linking illegal sales with counterfeits and coordinating communication between administrations with a single message that has a more effective impact on consumers.
Also participating in the round table were María Piedad Álvarez, Commissioner of the National Police, José Luis Valle del Customs and Excise Department, Jose Antonio Moreno Campos. CEO of ANDEMA.
José Antonio Gil Celedonio closed the day. Director of the SPTO, highlighting the importance of joint work between administrations and actors involved.
The event has been followed on social networks with the hashtag #StopFalsificaciones.
EN 
ES 
FR