ď Welcoming address by Hartmut Koschyk MdB Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance
at the meeting of the G 8 Customs Experts held in Berlin on 26 and 27 October 2010 to continue the INFO_IPR project
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It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin. I was unfortunately unable to attend the opening of your meeting as I had commitments in parliament this morning. I have been told that many of you have been involved with the INFO_IPR project for quite some time now, so I should like to extend a particularly warm welcome to the newcomers among you.
As you know, the year 2008 was particularly challenging from an organisational point of view as you had to postpone the first evaluation meeting in Cologne from mid-October to December for political reasons. We are very pleased that, together with the Japanese Presidency of the G8 at that time, we were nevertheless able to organise a successful meeting.
I know that the World Customs Organisation has made an important contribution to the implementation of the information system project. The European Commission as well has always viewed our joint project favourably. I should thus like to extend a special welcome to the colleague from the World Customs Organisation and to thank you for the support you have given us.
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Germany's Director-General of Customs and Head of the Directorate-General of Customs and excise duties in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr. Stähr, welcomed you here last year and assured you that Germany and its Customs Administration would continue to be reliable partners for the governments of other countries. I am convinced that this has been confirmed by the international co-operation at all levels which has taken place since then. This applies particularly to the G8 and G20, where special attention must still be focused on coping with the financial crisis and stabilising national economies.
Innovation is the key driver for the economical success of a country. But innovation needs an environment where it is effectively protected. Otherwise the innovative strength of a country will lose its competitevness. This does not only apply to developed countries but more and more to developing countries. Therefore it has to be – and I am very certain that it is – in their very own interest to combat IPR infringements. That is why you are here today. We should therefore not slacken our efforts to push forward with the Customs projects agreed within the framework of the G8 summits
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at Heiligendamm, Toyako and L’Aquila. In Germany’s view, this particularly includes the Guidelines for Customs and Border Enforcement Co-operation, which have the key objective of establishing the exchange of information between the G8 countries on an electronic basis. Today “INFO_IPR” is a synonym for this, at least in the context of the G8. I am sure you will analyse the weak points which still exist in INFO_IPR and find solutions in order to boost the attractiveness of the system. Today’s meeting, however, should also be the starting point for extending the exchange of information to include, for example, emerging countries which are ready and willing to take an active role in combating product and trade-mark piracy more efficiently. Here INFO_IPR could – as already mentioned – serve new countries as well as a synonym for a better exchange of data, in whatever form it takes place. The concept of INFO_IPR should not to limited as it were to a “closed shop event” for the rich countries such as the G8.
The negotiations on the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) as well, which ended in early
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October of this year – at least officially, though open points are supposed to be clarified bilaterally – were difficult and time-consuming. In my view this is also due to the complexity of the subject-matter. For this reason it will not be easy to reach agreement on the involvement of certain additional countries and the course to be followed in future.
I could also envisage that each G8 country could decide for itself, based on its national law, which customs administrations it wanted to use INFO_IPR with in future. Finding new ways forward in politics requires farsightedness, imagination, courage, steadfastness and drive, but also willingness to compromise. I encourage you to move forwards in this spirit and to work steadfastly to achieve good solutions for boosting the efficiency of the work of the customs administrations in the field of “IPR”. I wish you every success with your conference. Thank you for your attention.