Euro: protection against counterfeiting. Initiative France

PURPOSE: to present an Initiative by the Government of the French Republic with a view to adopting a Council Decision on the protection of the euro against counterfeiting. CONTENT: Council Regulation 974/98/EC of 3 May 1998 on the introduction of the euro lays down that currency denominated in euro shall start to be put into circulation as from 1 January 2002 and obliges the participating Member States to ensure adequate sanctions against counterfeiting and falsification of euro banknotes and coins. However, the measures to protect the euro put in place by previous instruments should be supplemented and strengthened by provisions ensuring close cooperation between the competent authorities of the Member States, the European Central Bank, the national central banks, Europol and Eurojust to suppress offences involving counterfeiting of the euro. Against this background, this proposal includes provisions relating to expert analysis of notes and coins; forwarding of the results of expert analyses; obligation to communicate information and finally, previous convictions. �