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As the European Union strives to achieve its goal of assuring universal access to economically acceptable products, little provision has been made for the struggle against counterfeiting, false labeling, fraud, and contraband, with a few notable exceptions. In particular, the illicit trade in tobacco and the misrepresentation of tobacco products has resulted in huge profits for the criminal organizations involved, estimated at 300 million Euros in 2008. In addition, counterfeiting and fraud in the pharmaceutical industry has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of patients following treatment programs in which their medication was improperly dosed, or simply a placebo. Numerous other consumer products have been affected as well, including cosmetics, toys, and electronics. This article offers an analysis of the growing risks to consumers posed by the illicit trade of such goods, along with insights into the measures the EU has put in motion to confront this problem. W. A. Butler