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The Economic Cost of IPR Infringement in the Pesticide Sector 2017-02-08

"On February 8, 2017, the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (Observatory) published its tenth sectorial study on the impacts of counterfeits in the pesticide and agrochemical sector. The Observatory, based at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante, Spain, works to provide evidence-based data on the impact of intellectual property on the economy of the European Union (EU) as well as on its role and public perception.

The Observatory previously published sectorial studies on the following: cosmetics and personal care; clothing, footwear, and accessories; sports goods; toys and games; jewelry and watches; handbags and luggage; recorded music; spirits and wine; and pharmaceuticals. The Observatory's tenth sectorial study analyzes the negative impact of counterfeiting on businesses, governments, and consumers and highlights two case studies where counterfeit pesticides were seized.

Some highlights of the study include:

The biggest producer of pesticides in the EU is Germany, with € 4 billion in sales, followed by France, with € 3.5 billion in sales, with an estimated loss of 500 jobs per year in both countries.
The total lost sales in the pesticides sector in the United Kingdom is estimated at € 76 million each year, with an estimated 200 jobs lost.
The EU pesticides industry consists of more than 600 enterprises, with an average of 35 workers per firm.
The direct estimate of sales lost by legitimate manufacturers of pesticides in the EU is € 1.3 billion.
Total lost taxes on the counterfeit products is estimated to be € 2.8 billion."