Agenda
Download the agenda as a PDF here (489KB)
Background of the conference:
Counterfeiting medicines is a growing illegal business and a threat to public health worldwide. The number of false representations is increasing and the risk profile of counterfeited medicines is changing to cover not just life-style products, but more and more innovative and life-saving medicines. These products are channelled via fake online pharmacies on the internet and increasingly through the legal supply chain. International criminal networks are often behind this illicit trade. Therefore effective law enforcement responses against this crime have a significant cross-border aspect which calls for harmonised actions at international and EU levels.
Objective of the conference:
The objective of this conference is to encourage the gradual harmonisation of investigation methods against counterfeit medicines in order to increase their effectiveness at European level. The conference will present practical investigations cases and will aim at identifying good investigation practices. The conference will also review needs in terms of the legal framework, international cooperation and public-private partnerships as these issues are prerequisites for effective investigations. The conference is open to invitees only.
Target audience:
The target audience of this conference includes representatives of judicial and enforcement authorities in charge of conducting investigations on counterfeit medicines. It also includes senior officials responsible for regulations and policy-making in the field of law enforcement such as Heads of Medicines agencies, Heads of Enforcement and Customs agencies and relevant international and European organisations.
Partnership and support:
The conference is organised by the International Association for European Cooperation on Justice and Home Affairs (Eucojust) in partnership with the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the German Judicial Custom Administration (ZKA), the French Judicial Customs Administration (SNDJ) and Sanofi-aventis. The conference received financial support from the Programme "Prevention of and fight against crime" of the Directorate Home Affairs from the European Commission and from Sanofi-aventis.
Venue:
The conference was held at
Square – Brussels - Meeting Centre
Mont des Arts - Kunstberg
1000 Brussels Belgium
First day: Monday 27 September 2010
09h00 - 09h20 |
Registration of participants and delivery of the security badge. Welcome coffee |
|---|---|
09h20 - 09h25 |
Welcome note: presentation of partners and sponsors, Mr Louis BLONDIAU, President of EUCOJUST (Association for European Cooperation on Justice and Home Affairs) and project coordinator. |
Session 1: Opening
09h30 - 09h50 |
“Counterfeit medicines and public health" |
Mr Christopher A. VIEHBACHER, Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi-aventis
|
|---|---|---|
09h50 - 10h10 |
“Counterfeit medicines in developing countries versus Europe” |
Mr Louis MICHEL, Deputy to the European Parliament, Representative of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union |
10h10 - 10h30 Coffee Break
Session 2: Threat analysis and prerequisites for effective investigations on counterfeit medicines. Chair: Belgian Federal Agency for Medicine and Health Products (Mr Vancauwenberghe)
Timing |
Title of the presentation (20’ presentation and 10’ discussion) | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
10h30 - 11h00 |
“Contribution of Europol to the international law enforcement strategic and operational co-operation against counterfeit medicines” |
Mr Carlo VAN HEUCKELOM , Chief of Unit
Criminal Finances & Technology EUROPOL
|
11h00 - 11h30 |
“Legislative proposal as regards the prevention of the entry into the legal supply chain of medicinal products which are falsified” |
Ms Agnès Mathieu European Commission, DG Health & Consumers, Unit Pharmaceuticals |
11h30 - 12h00 |
“The new Convention of the Council of Europe and its potential impact on law enforcement" (in French with interpretation) |
Mr Claude DEBRULLE , Honorary General Director, Belgian Ministry of Justice, President of the Advisory Group on Counterfeit Pharmaceutical products of the Council of Europe (PC.S.CP) |
12h00 - 12h30 |
“Recent development on keeping falsified medicines out of the supply chain” | Dr. Katrin NODOP, Compliance and Inspection, European Medicines Agency (EMA) |
12h30 - 14h00 Lunch break
14h00 - 14h30 |
“Clarification and scope of the two main approaches against counterfeit medicines: intellectual property versus the public health” |
Mr Christian TOURNIE European Commission, DG Home Affairs |
|---|---|---|
14h30 - 15h00 |
“EUROJUST experience in dealing with cases related to counterfeited medicinal products” |
Mr Benedikt WELFENS - European Judicial Cooperation Unit – EUROJUST |
Session 3: Case studies
Chair: sanofi-aventis (Mr B. Frahi, Vice president, Corporate Economic Security)
Timing |
Title of the presentation (20’ presentation and 10’ discussion) | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
15h00 - 15h30 |
“Recent trends of manufacture and sales of counterfeit medicines in Europe and in the World” |
Mr Ashley HOW, Regional Director Pharmaceutical Security Institute, PSI |
15h30 - 16h00 |
“German customs enforcement structure and impact on the effectiveness of counterfeit investigations” |
Ms Kirstin SMOLKA, Zollkriminalamt (ZKA) Referat III 3/1 - VuB - prohibitions & restrictions / pharmaceuticals & doping – |
16h00 - 16h30 Coffee Break
16h30 - 17h00 |
“Irish and UK health enforcement structures and impact on effectiveness of investigations” |
Mr H.K. BONAR, Enforcement Manager Irish Medicines Board |
|---|---|---|
17h00 - 17h30 |
“Customs and the WCO efforts in combating counterfeit pharmaceuticals” |
Mr Motoyuki OKURA, Technical Attaché, World Customs Organization (WCO) |
Second day: Tuesday 28 September 2010
Session 4: Case studies on investigations part 1.
Chair: German Customs (ZKA) (Ms. K.Smolka)
Timing |
Title of the presentation (20’ presentation and 10’ discussion) |
Speaker |
|---|---|---|
09h00 - 09h30 |
“The Multidisciplinary approach to address a pharmaceutical crime investigation” |
Ms Aline PLANCON Head of MPCPC Unit; co-chair of INTERPOL-IMPACT Enforcement group |
09h30 - 10h00 |
“Presentation of the international operation Pangea II” |
Ms Karen BRESARD, Criminal intelligence analysis, INTERPOL –IMPACT MPCPC Unit |
10h00 - 10h30 |
“Presentation of Blue project” |
Mr Sieghart VOSSELER , ZAR Zollfahndungsamt Stuttgart -Dienstsitz Freiburg- SG -Organisierte Kriminalität and Mr Frank BIRKHOLD, ZAM |
10h30 - 11h00 Coffee Break
11h00 - 11h30 |
“Presentation of the techniques of investigations for counterfeit medicines sold over the internet” |
Mr Luc STROHMANN, Chief of the Cyberdouanes department, French Customs |
|---|---|---|
11h30 - 12h00 |
“How to use information available by acquiring banks and credit card companies in investigations on counterfeit medicines?” |
Mr Bernd-Ludwig MULLER, Expert financial crime Financial expert from Acquiring bank CONCARDIS in Frankfurt |
12h00 - 12h30 |
“Presentation of an investigation case in Germany:online pharmacy and involvement of tax authorities” |
Mr Jurgen ROEDER senior investigation officer, head of prohibitions and restrictions, customs investigation, Essen. (Zollfahndungsamt, ZKA) |
12h30 - 14h00 Lunch break
Session 5: Case studies on investigations
Chair: French Customs (Mr Benoit DUFAY, SNDJ)
14h00 - 14h30 |
“Presentation of an investigation case in UK and Europe” |
Mr Mike DEATS, Group Manager, Enforcement Group, Inspection, Enforcement and Standards Division, UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) |
|---|---|---|
14h30 - 15h00 |
“Presentation of an investigation case in USA” |
Mr R. HALVERSON, Unit Chief, IPR/Outreach & Training, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). |
15h00 - 15h30 |
“Presentation of organizational developments in the fight against counterfeit medicines in the Netherlands and a recent investigation case ” |
Mr Henny KOELE and Mr Jack GEURTSEN, Criminal Intelligence & Investigation Squad, Treasury Department and Mr Lex van NES, Health Care Inspectorate, Pharmaceutical affairs and medical technology |
15h30 - 16h00 Coffee Break
16h00 - 16h30 |
“Presentation of two investigation cases of counterfeit medicines smuggled via the Republic of Macedonia” |
Mrs. Vesna PETRESKA (Head) and Mr. Kiril ZAJKOV (Senior Inspector), Anti-smuggling Unit, Investigation Department, Sector for Control and Investigation; Customs Administration of Macedonia. |
|---|---|---|
16h30 - 17h00 |
Investigations on internet: practical cases and good practices in Italy” |
Cpt. TIRO, Carabinieri del NAS, Ministry of Health |
17h00 - 17h30 |
“Current counterfeit situation in Russia, role and impact of the Health Surveillance Service of the Russian Federation” |
Mr Alexey TEREKHOV, Advisor to the Head of the Russian Federal Service on Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Development (Roszdravnadzor) |
17h30 - 18h00 |
“Training needs for operators: customs, police, drug regulatory authorities, and heath Authorities” |
Dr Di GIORGIO Head of Counterfeit Prevention Unit, Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco |
18h00 – 20h00 Cocktail (Panoramic room)
Third day: Wednesday 29 September 2010
Session 6: Case studies on investigations
Chair: UK Medicines Agency (MHRA) (Mr Mike Deats)
Timing |
Title of the presentation |
Speaker |
|---|---|---|
09h00 - 09h30 |
“Dismantlement of a supply chain: the medicine shop case in Sweden” |
Ms Cecilia FANT, National Criminal Police
Intelligence Section; Swedish Police |
09h30 - 10h00 |
“Successful public-private partnership on a recent case in UK” |
Mr Phillipe COTRELL (Sanofi-aventis UK), Mr Nimo AHMED (MHRA UK), and a private investigator |
10h00 - 10h30 Coffee Break
10h30 - 11h00 |
“Presentation of an investigation case in Sankt Petersburg “ |
Mr Yuri ORLOV, Sanofi-aventis Russia, Regional CIS security manager |
|---|---|---|
11h00 - 11h30 |
“Investigation on illicit internet purchase and postal parcels in Belgium” |
Mr Roy VANCAUWENBERGHE, Senior Investigator, Special Investigation Team, Belgian Federal Agency for Medicine and Health Products |
11h30 - 12h00 |
“Support of a private forensic laboratory in investigations on counterfeit medicines” |
Ms Nathalie TALLET, Head of the central laboratory of analysis of Sanofi-aventis in Tours |
12h00 - 12h30 |
“Presentation of a recent investigation case on counterfeit medicines in Poland” |
Mr Piotr ŻOłEDOWSKI, Investigator, Polish central Investigation Office, Warsaw |
12h30 - 14h30 Lunch break
Session 7: Conclusions and recommendations
14h30 - 15h00 |
Presentation of draft conclusions by each of the partners of the conference |
Mr L. BLONDIAU (EUCOJUST) Ms C. HUBER (SANOFI-AVENTIS) |
|---|---|---|
15h00 - 16h00 |
Plenary - Discussion of conference conclusions and declaration |
Chaired by Eucojust, ZKA, MHRA, SNDJ, Sanofi-Aventis |
16h00 - 16h15 |
Closure of the conference |
Eucojust |