The Council Resolution of 16 March 2009, approving the EU customs action plan to combat IPR infringements for the years 2009 to 2012 has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union C 71 of 25.3.2009.

Resolutions fall within a particular category of Community acts, other than Regulations, Directives and Decisions, whose characteristic is that they are not legally binding for their recipients. Nowithstanding this, they contibute to the fulfilment of the European Union objectives. Resolutions (as well as Recomandations, White Books, Green Books, programmes of action, Framework programmes and Communications), play therefore an important role of guidance, impulse and stimulus to the member States.

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The European Commission, with Decision EC/2009/251 of 17 March 2009 published in the Official Journal of the EU L 4 of 20/03/2009, requires member States to guarantee that products containing the biocide "dimethylfumarate" (DMF) will not be placed or made available on the Community market. Such a substance is normally inserted in small packs bearing the wording “silica gel”, and placed inside furniture or footwear. The DMF evaporates and penetrates leather, so preventing moulds. As some tests have proved that this product can cause acute irritations and dermatitis, as well as respiratory troubles to consumers, on 29 January 2009, the EU member States voted a project of Decision to be approved by the European Commission, aimed to assure that consumer products, and particularly footwear and leather products (e.g. armchairs), containing such a substance will not be placed on the EU market.

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