More counterfeit UIC pallets found in Ukraine

Düsseldorf, 14th March 2017 – Since the European Pallet Association (EPAL) terminated the exchangeability agreement with the UIC, the UIC, the Austrian chamber of commerce, WKÖ, and the association ARGE Palettenpool have tried to refute the reasons for the termination of the common pool. The UIC claimed in a press release that the counterfeiting of UIC/EUR pallets as the justification for the termination bore “no relation to the reality”. In contrast to this, EPAL’s current market analysis documents the reality of unhindered counterfeiting of UIC/EUR pallets.

In the course of EPAL’s investigations in Ukraine, at the beginning of March 2017, large numbers of counterfeit UIC/EUR pallets were again found. The counterfeits were discovered at two pallet producers in Kiev. The companies had both used and new counterfeit UIC/EUR pallets in stock. The investigation revealed that the production and sale of counterfeit UIC/EUR pallets, even in large numbers, posed no problem for the counterfeiters. They said themselves they weren’t worried about any problems with the UIC.

EPAL’s investigation clearly shows that the production and sale of counterfeit UIC/EUR pallets in Ukraine continues unabated. The UIC and Rail Cargo Austria AG (RCA) are evidently still not taking any effective measures as the owners of the “UIC” and “EUR in Oval” trademarks or as guarantors of the quality assurance of UIC/EUR pallets, to prevent the distribution of counterfeit, inferior quality UIC/EUR pallets.

Martin Leibrandt, CEO of EPAL said, “UIC’s denial of the counterfeiting of UIC/EUR pallets, hasn’t survived a week. Once more you have to ask yourself if the UIC is in a position to and intends to fulfil its duties to effectively fight counterfeit and inferior quality UIC/EUR pallets. Our decision to terminate the exchangeability agreement, was and is the right decision. The open Euro pallet exchange pool organised by EPAL will continue to stand for quality and safety in the future”.