Decision 2005/37 - 2005/37/EC: Commission Decision of 29 October 2004 establishing the European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC) and providing for coordination of technical actions to protect euro coins against counterfeiting - Main contents

SUMMARY OF:

Decision 2005/37/EC establishing the European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC) and the coordination of actions to protect euro coins against counterfeiting

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION?

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  Decision 2005/37/EC establishes the European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC) within the European Commission in Brussels. Originally attached to the European Anti-Fraud Office, the amendment by Decision (EU) 2017/1507 establishes the ETSC within the Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs DG ECFIN (see summary).
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  The role of the ETSC is to protect euro coins against counterfeiting. To this end, it analyses and classifies counterfeit euro coins and assists the national authorities of European Union (EU) Member States.

KEY POINTS

Tasks of the centre

The ETSC:

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  analyses and classifies every new type of counterfeit euro coin, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 on the protection of the euro against counterfeiting (see summary);
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  contributes to fulfilling the objectives of the Pericles programme;
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  carries out certain tasks under Regulations (EU) No 1210/2010, which sets the rules for checking the authenticity of euro coins (see summary), and (EC) No 2182/2004, which concerns medals and tokens similar to euro coins (see summary);
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  assists the coin national analysis centres and law enforcement authorities in their tasks and collaborates with the relevant authorities in analysing counterfeit euro coins and in the strengthening of the protection of the euro.

For the technical and scientific analysis of counterfeit euro coins, the ETSC can use the personnel and premises that the French mint has made available, notably its laboratory.

Coordination and information activities

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  The Commission coordinates the actions of the technical authorities competent for the protection of euro coins, in particular through regular meetings of the Counterfeit Coin Experts Group.
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  Chaired by the Commission, this group allows for the pooling of the various experiences and areas of expertise of Member States in relation to the counterfeiting of euro coins and coordination of technical actions necessary to protect the euro.

The Economic and Financial Committee, the European Central Bank, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation and the competent national authorities are regularly kept informed of the centre’s activities and of the situation as regards coin counterfeiting.

Authentication of euro coins

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  Regulation (EU) No 1210/2010 introduces common rules and procedures within the euro area for checking the authenticity of euro coins in circulation (authentication process) and for handling and reimbursing those unfit for it.
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  It states that the ETSC is responsible for defining, among other things:

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    the technical specifications for testing the coin-processing machines used for verifying the authenticity of euro coins;
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    training practices for the staff tasked with checking euro coins;
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    the validity period of the reports on the tests;
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    information on the list, published on the Commission’s website, of coin-processing machines that have successfully passed a detection test;
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    guidelines for annual on-the-spot controls of cash handlers’ capacity to authenticate euro coins;
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    rules for rectifying coin-processing machines’ non-compliance with the regulation.

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  Decisions 2003/861/EC and 2003/862/EC provide for the establishment by the Commission of the ETSC and its operation in euro area and non-euro area Member States, respectively.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DECISION APPLY?

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  Decision 2005/37/EC has applied since 10 February 2005.
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  Amending Decision (EU) 2017/1507 has applied since 18 September 2017.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

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  The European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC) (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Commission Decision 2005/37/EC of 29 October 2004 establishing the European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC) and providing for coordination of technical actions to protect euro coins against counterfeiting (OJ L 19, 21.1.2005, pp. 73–74)

Successive amendments to Decision 2005/37/EC have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Decision of 19 October 2015 setting up the Counterfeit Coin Experts Group on the Commission’s policy and Regulations regarding the protection of euro coins against counterfeiting (OJ C 347, 20.10.2015, pp. 4–6)

Regulation (EU) No 1210/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2010 concerning authentication of euro coins and handling of euro coins unfit for circulation (OJ L 339, 22.12.2010, pp. 1–5)

Council Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 of 6 December 2004 concerning medals and tokens similar to euro coins (OJ L 373, 21.12.2004, pp. 1–6)

See consolidated version.

Council Decision 2003/861/EC of 8 December 2003 concerning analysis and cooperation with regard to counterfeit euro coins (OJ L 325, 12.12.2003, pp. 44)

Council Decision 2003/862/EC of 8 December 2003 extending the effects of Decision 2003/861/EC concerning analysis and cooperation with regard to counterfeit euro coins to those Member States which have not adopted the euro as their single currency (OJ L 325, 12.12.2003, pp. 45)

Council Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 of 28 June 2001 laying down measures necessary for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting (OJ L 181, 4.7.2001, pp. 6–10)

See consolidated version.

last update 28.09.2021

This summary has been adopted from EUR-Lex.