The representative of Japan said that for his delegation the past discussions on the item of enforcement introduced by the United States and the European Communities at previous Council sessions had been very helpful and he hoped that this discussion would continue under the item introduced by Switzerland. His delegation agreed that each Member can determine the appropriate means of implementing the TRIPS provisions under Article 1.1, but that he believed that the exchange of experiences among Members increased the options that each Member, while taking into account the unique aspects of its own situation, would be able to choose from in determining the most appropriate means of implementation in the most efficient manner. Such enrichment of alternatives would contribute to solving the world-wide counterfeiting and piracy problems. The TRIPS Council was one of the appropriate forums for such exchanges of information because the experts on the TRIPS Agreement were present. Therefore, his delegation welcomed the introduction of this exchange of experiences and methods on an on-going basis, in order to provide each Member with more alternatives of combating counterfeiting and piracy.
