Machine for destroying counterfeits put into operation

BELGRADE - A machine for destroying counterfeit goods, which the EU donated to Serbia, was on Tuesday put into operation by Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport and State Secretary of the Ministry of Trade Vesna Kovac at the market inspectorate HQ in Belgrade.

The head of the EU delegation said that starting the machine is a good way to mark World Intellectual Property Day and to raise consumers' awareness of the risk entailed in buying counterfeit products.

In this field, Serbia's legislation is mostly harmonized with the EU's acquis, but we are all aware that more efforts should be invested in ensuring a more efficient implementation of the regulations and standards, Davenport said.

Kovac said that the machine for destroying counterfeits is part of the project titled "Implementation of intellectual property rights ", financed by the EU with EUR 2.8 million from pre-accession funds.

As part of the project, a campaign "Counterfeits Cost More, I Buy Originals" has been launched, carried out by the market inspectorate of the Serbian Ministry of Trade, French technical expertise agency Expertise France and the EU Delegation to Serbia.

Photo TANJUG/S. Radovanovic