The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has successfully traced and analysed a cross-border trafficking route used for the distribution of more than 200,000 counterfeit condoms in Europe. The fake condoms were sold in Europe using the name and logo of a well-known brand.
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Some 200,000 condoms coming from China were alsely declared as toys — bypassed the European Union quality requirements, exposing consumers to the risk of sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies and unsafe chemicals and materials, OLAF says.
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When entering the EU, products must meet specific health and safety standards. They require CE certification and must comply with standards like ISO 4074 to prove they are safe and effective.
The counterfeit products from China bypassed those.
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OLAF did a comparative analysis of the products seized in Romania, Serbia and Spain, alongside national customs authorities, and it established that the counterfeit products originated from a common source in China.
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CE is self assigned though. Manufacturers and importers are free to choose how much testing they perform (if any). The CE mark only tells you that the manufacturer states the product complies with European regulation.
That frequently goes wrong. That’s why every European country has a governmental organisation to audit products. However for reasons of cost these are only testing a minuscule portion of the products imported in or manufactured in the EU.