Pressure is mounting on EU lawmakers to improve protection for trade secrets and intellectual property (IP) rights, after two business lobbies called for stricter enforcement.

A coalition of seven international corporations told the Gazette this week that it has called on the European Commission to afford trade secrets the same protection as other IP rights.

The coalition, which includes corporations with multi-billion-pound revenues, asserts that trade secrets do not receive adequate protection in the EU compared with other major economies.

Thomas Tindemans, counsel in the EU practice at US firm White & Case, who is advising the coalition, said that the importance of trade secret theft and industrial espionage is starting to be recognised at a national level.

The EC’s Taxation and Customs Union Directorate General (DG Taxud) recently opened a consultation on regulation concerning customs measures against goods suspected of infringing IP rights. Tindemans said that the coalition has spoken to DG Taxud about the fact that the measure does not recognise trade secrets as IP rights, and has asked for such protection to be included.

Coalition members have also met the EC’s Internal Market and Services Directorate General (DG Markt), and asked for trade secrets to be considered in its upcoming review of a directive on the enforcement of IP rights. Tindemans said that, as part of an ‘ongoing dialogue’ with the directorate, DG Markt has asked the coalition to submit additional information.

Meanwhile, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) last week called on G8 and G20 leaders to introduce and enforce sanctions that would be ‘real deterrents’ to IP crimes, this being one of ‘three areas crucial to the future of the world economy’.

A study commissioned by the ICC found that counterfeiting and piracy cost G20 governments more than €100bn (£82bn) annually in lost tax revenues, and put 2.5 million jobs at risk. ‘Counterfeiting and copyright piracy has become a global epidemic, depriving governments of tax revenues, endangering the lives of consumers and undermining confidence,’ the ICC said.

The ICC represents companies across all sectors in more than 120 countries.