The phenomenon of counterfeit medicinal products in the European Union has grown in recent years due tothe increasing amount of merchandise crossing borders. The European Union has responded to this challengeby adopting a proposal for a Directive (COM(2008) 668 final) on the prevention of the entry into the legalsupply chain of medicinal products which are falsified in relation to their identity, history or source, andsubmitted to a first parliamentary reading expected in September 2010.This briefing, which will offer two different perspectives from the originator and the parallel trade, will presentand discuss the major issues of the proposal currently debated within the European Parliament, such as:- Definitions of