Illicit trafficking in counterfeit, with false labelling and pirated goods constitutes an infringement of both EU and national customs legislation; this causes serious economic damage to consumers and businesses engaged in legitimate trade, and affects the legitimate activities of all those involved in international trade.

The goods involved in illicit trafficking may often – in view of their characteristics - represent a serious and immediate danger to the health and/or safety of consumers; as a result the Agency has an obligation to put in place the most appropriate initiatives for an ever greater effectiveness of surveillance and control activities, relying on selection criteria that do not disrupt trade and do not entail excessive costs for honest companies.

It should also be noted that we can daily observe consumers indulging in the habit of purchasing counterfeit or unsafe products, thus exposing - often unknowingly - children or users in general to serious risks, to the danger of environmental pollution, and causing disastrous economic consequences for companies and workers.

The initiative "Falstaff per i giovani" (Falstaff for young people) is part of this context and it is aimed at involving all institutional and non-institutional parties engaged in the fight against counterfeiting in order to enhance the morality of younger consumers’ habits mainly, through educational measures that are promoted and disseminated thanks to the most modern and technological tools i.e. the most popular social networks.

The aim of the project is to inform young people about the dangers that may derive from encouraging - although unknowingly - counterfeiting and the risks associated with purchasing products that do not comply with quality and safety regulations, with the collaboration of major trade associations.

The project has resulted in the creation of the FALSOBOOK portal, where you can find in-depth analyses, topics of interest to consumers, advice from trade associations... and much more!