Following intense lobbying by the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (Fesi) and other trade organizations, the European Parliament has voted to let customs authorities in the member countries of the European Union stop imported products to verify whether they are counterfeits even if they are marked as goods in transit. Prodded by Fesi, the European Commission has already proposed a review of the present regulations, which have allowed shippers to avoid these procedures if the products are destined to countries outside the EU since 2011, following a case involving Nokia and Philips. In 2012, the year after the relaxation of the rules, the detention of goods by customs at the EU's borders fell by 65 percent, indicating a likely surge in traffic of fakes. It will be up to the European Council, which represents the national governments, to decide whether it wants to adopt the recommendations of the Commission and the Parliament. Germany and the Netherlands are said to be opposed to a review because it would involve hiring more customs officials at their big international ports.

Topics