The fight against Counterfeiting

In accordance with the Council Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 of 28 June 2001 laying down measures necessary for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting, two analysis centres for counterfeit currency were established:

The Counterfeit Analysis Centre, located at the ECB, for banknote counterfeits.
The European Technical and Scientific Centre, established by the European Commission and located at the French Mint, for coin counterfeits.
Both centres analyse those counterfeits which are considered to be dangerous, as they are either occurring in considerable numbers or as their quality is deceiving.

Each EU Member State established a National Analysis Centre and a Coin National Analysis Centre to carry out routine analyses and to forward the more serious counterfeits to the relevant centre. The national centres register details of the amounts and locations of counterfeits found and assess the less dangerous counterfeits.

The European and national centres are linked by a web-based database, the Counterfeit Monitoring System. This database contains the accumulated data of counterfeiting of the euro. It is a comprehensive technical, statistical and geographical database, built up for the benefit of the central banks and law enforcement users:

The Counterfeit Analysis Centre uses the statistical data in its regular reporting and the technical data to provide feedback on the performance of security features to take into account for future banknotes.

Interpol and Europol match data retrieved from the Counterfeit Monitoring System with crime record data on their own information systems.

The ECB continues to cooperate very closely in the fight against counterfeit with the european Commission and with the police agancies Interpol and Europol. The public can be reassured that with the coordinated efforts of the various institutions everything possible is being done to safeguard the public and to protect the integrity of the euro

 Source of Information:European Central Bank