TEXT PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSION AMENDMENTS

Amendment 1

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Recital 2

(2) It is important to ensure that circulating euro notes and coins are authentic. Procedures are now available which enable credit institutions and other related institutions to check authenticity of the euro notes and coins they receive before they put them back into circulation. In order to comply with the obligation to check authenticity and to implement those procedures, these institutions need time to adapt their internal functioning. (2) It is important to ensure that circulating euro notes and coins are authentic. Procedures are now available which enable credit institutions and other related institutions to check the authenticity and fitness for circulation of the euro notes and coins they receive before they put them back into circulation. In order to comply with the obligation to check authenticity and fitness for circulation, and to implement those procedures, these institutions need time to adapt their internal functioning.

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Recital 2a (new)

(2a) Small and medium-sized traders lack sufficient resources to carry out checks in accordance with the procedures laid down by the European Central Bank and by the Commission. They should be required to act with due diligence by withdrawing from circulation any euro notes and coins received by them which they know or have sufficient reason to believe to be counterfeit.

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Recital 2b (new)

(2b) In order to ensure that credit institutions and other related institutions are able to comply with the obligation to check euro notes and coins for authenticity and fitness for circulation, technical procedures and standards for such checking should be defined. Article 106(1) of the EC Treaty assigns competence to define such standards for euro notes to the European Central Bank. With regard to euro coins, related competences have been conferred on the Commission pursuant to Article 211 of the EC Treaty.

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Recital 3

(3) Appropriate adjustment of equipment is a prerequisite for checking the authenticity of euro notes and coins. In order to adjust the equipment used for the checks for authenticity it is essential that the necessary quantities of counterfeit notes and coins are available at the places where testing is conducted. It is, therefore, important to permit the transport of counterfeits amongst competent national authorities as well as institutions and bodies of the European Union. (3) Appropriate adjustment of equipment is a prerequisite for checking the authenticity of euro notes and coins. In order to adjust the equipment used for the checks for authenticity it is essential that the necessary quantities of counterfeit notes and coins are available at the places where testing is conducted. It is, therefore, necessary to permit the delivery and transport of counterfeits amongst competent national authorities as well as institutions and bodies of the European Union.

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Recital 3a (new)

(3a) The authenticity of euros must be guaranteed throughout the European Union, including in those Member States which do not belong to the euro area and those in which euros are used as a transaction currency.

Amendment 6

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Article 1 — point - 1 (new) Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 Article 2 — point da (new)

- 1. The following point shall be inserted in Article 2: (da) ‘other institutions’ shall mean any economic institutions or agents engaged in the sorting and distribution to the public of euro notes and coins, either directly or via cash distribution machines; this definition shall include bureaux de change, large shopping centres and casinos;

Amendment 7

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Article 1 — point - 1a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 Article 2 — point db (new)

- 1a. The following point shall be inserted in Article 2: (db) ‘small and medium-sized trader’ shall mean a retailer operating on small or medium-sized premises and serving the end consumer who is not involved in the sorting and distribution to the public of euro notes and coins other than in the routine handing-over of change;

Amendment 8

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Article 1 — point 1 — point b Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 Article 4 — paragraph 2 — subparagraph 1a (new)

(b) at the end of paragraph 2 the following sentence is added: For the purpose of facilitating the control for authenticity of circulating euro notes, the transport of counterfeit notes amongst the competent national authorities as well as the institutions and bodies of the European Union shall be permitted. (b) in paragraph 2 the following subparagraph is added: For the purpose of facilitating the control for authenticity of circulating euro notes and when the quantity seized so permits, an adequate number of counterfeit euro notes (even when these constitute evidence in criminal proceedings) shall be transmitted to the competent national bodies, and the transport thereof amongst the competent national authorities as well as the institutions and bodies of the European Union shall be permitted.

Amendment 10

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Article 1 — point 2 — point b Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 Article 5 — paragraph 2 — subparagraph 2a (new)

(b) at the end of paragraph 2 the following sentence is added: For the purpose of facilitating the control for authenticity of circulating euro coins, the transport of counterfeit coins amongst the competent national authorities as well as the institutions and bodies of the European Union shall be permitted. (b) in paragraph 2 the following subparagraph is added: For the purpose of facilitating the control for authenticity of circulating euro coins and when the quantity seized so permits, an adequate number of counterfeit euro coins (even when these constitute evidence in criminal proceedings) shall be transmitted to the competent national bodies, and the transport thereof amongst the competent national authorities as well as the institutions and bodies of the European Union shall be permitted.

Amendment 11

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Article 1 — point 3 — point a Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 Article 6 — paragraph 1

1. Credit institutions, and any other institutions engaged in the sorting and distribution to the public of notes and coins as a professional activity, including establishments whose activity consists in exchanging notes and coins of different currencies, such as bureaux de change, shall be obliged to ensure that euro notes and coins which they have received and which they intend to put back into circulation are checked for authenticity and counterfeits are detected. This verification shall be carried out in line with procedures to be defined by the European Central Bank and the Commission for euro notes and coins respectively. 1. Credit institutions, cash transporters and any other economic agents engaged in the sorting and distribution to the public of notes and coins, including establishments whose professional activity consists in exchanging notes and coins of different currencies, such as bureaux de change, and economic agents engaged, as a subsidiary activity, in the sorting and distribution of notes to the public by means of automated teller machines, shall be obliged to ensure that euro notes and coins which they have received and which they intend to put back into circulation are checked for authenticity and fitness for circulation and counterfeits are detected. Cash transporters shall be required to verify the authenticity of euro notes and coins only where they have direct access to the euro notes and coins which are entrusted to them. This verification of authenticity and fitness for circulation shall be carried out in line with procedures to be defined by the European Central Bank and the Commission for euro notes and coins respectively , in accordance with those institutions’ respective competences and taking into account the particular features of euro notes and coins . In those Member States other than the participating Member States listed in Regulation (EC) No 974/98, a specific control procedure shall be laid down for the purpose of checking the authenticity of euro notes and coins used by the institutions referred to in the first subparagraph.

The institutions referred to in the first subparagraph shall be obliged to withdraw from circulation all euro notes and coins received by them which they know or have sufficient reason to believe to be counterfeit. They shall immediately hand them over to the competent national authorities. The credit institutions and other economic agents referred to in the first subparagraph and small and medium-sized traders shall be obliged to withdraw from circulation all euro notes and coins received by them which they know or have sufficient reason to believe to be counterfeit. They shall immediately hand them over to the competent national authorities.

Amendment 12

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Article 1 — point 3 — point b Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 Article 6 — paragraph 3

By way of derogation from the first subparagraph of paragraph 3, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions for applying the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted by 31 December 2009 at the latest. They shall forthwith inform the Commission and the European Central Bank thereof. By way of derogation from the first subparagraph of paragraph 3, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions for applying the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted by 31 December 2011 at the latest. They shall forthwith inform the Commission and the European Central Bank thereof.

Amendment 13

Proposal for a regulation — amending act Article 1 — point 3 a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 Article 7 — paragraph 2 — indent 3a (new)