Resolution on the Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Central Bank on protection of the euro - combating counterfeiting (COM(98)0474 - C4-0527/98)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission communication (COM(98)0474 - C4-0527/98),

- having regard to the report by the Committee on Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy (A4-0396/98),

A. whereas the introduction of the euro in the form of cash is associated with a not inconsiderable risk of counterfeiting, not least because the Euro will be extensively circulated,

B. pointing out that the risk of counterfeiting of the euro is especially high in its running-in phase, when it will still be unfamiliar to citizens,

C. convinced that the Union must consequently establish an efficient system for protecting the euro against counterfeiting,

1. Expects the euro quickly to be adopted for global use as a reserve currency on a par with the dollar and the yen;

2. Notes that experience shows that currencies that are stable and can be placed globally on markets tend to be counterfeited in large quantities and on an organised basis;

3. Shares the Commission's view that a wide range of experience and expertise is consequently available in the Member States in the prevention and prosecution of currency counterfeiting;

4. Calls on the Commission to carry out a study to compare how national criminal laws treat counterfeiting, in order to identify ways to ensure a uniform level of criminal law protection in the European Union;

5. Takes the view that it will be essential for equivalent protection against counterfeiting of the euro to have been established throughout the territory of the European Union at the time of its introduction as cash, even although not all Member States will by then have adopted the single currency;

6. Expects, in relation to preparations for enlargement, that future members of the European Union will be associated as early and as completely as possible with the measures to be adopted;

7. Supports all efforts by the European Central Bank to ensure high technical safety standards in the production of the euro banknotes in close cooperation with the national central banks, e.g. through regular quality controls;

8. Points to the Member States' responsibility for the production of the euro coins and urges close cooperation and coordination of the national treasuries and mints to ensure that all technical safety standards are met;

9. Supports consequently the development of a joint strategy against counterfeiting of the euro, to be coordinated between the Institutions in the European Union;

10. Reserves judgement, however, on the final assessment of the division of labour between the Institutions, as proposed by the Commission, until the results of a deeper investigation, together with more detailed Commission proposals, have been made available, in particular because it will itself be involved with or participate in the drawing up of legislation and the decision concerning the budget;

11. Notes that organised cooperation between central banks, the banking sector, police forces and the courts in the Member States has hitherto proved its worth, and that adjustments to the new European reality consequently should as far as possible build on that tried and tested division of labour;

12. Would welcome it if the European Central Bank were to:

a) organise exchanges of experience and information between national central banks, the banking sector and other relevant sectors (e.g. business),

b) establish and maintain a database with technical details of counterfeited euro banknotes and coins that would be accessible to national central banks, the authorities responsible for combating counterfeiting and Europol;

13. Calls on the Council, in accordance with Europol's objectives within the meaning of Article 2(1) of the Europol Convention, to extend Europol's responsibility for counterfeiting, and to lay down the necessary rules for enabling continuous cooperation by Europol with the European central banks and with Interpol to take place;

14. Calls on the Commission

a) to submit a proposal for a multidisciplinary training programme for both officials responsible for combating counterfeiting, and the banking and commercial sector based on Articles 100a, 127 and 209a of the EC Treaty;

b) in the area of judicial cooperation - after the Amsterdam Treaty enters into force - to submit a catalogue of relevant practice in relation to currency counterfeiting, which should be uniformly classified as a criminal offence in all Member States; in that connection, the common definition of particular criminal activities should be recognised as being more fundamental than laying down uniform minimum penalties;

c) to submit, on the basis of the abovementioned common definitions, a proposal for an information system for the rapid exchange of data between authorities responsible for combating counterfeiting; in that connection, the European Parliament expressly reserves the right to examine at what point it would be most appropriate for such data to be collated into a single database and how it can be made compatible with the Interpol notification system;

d) to examine whether European Union accession to the 1929 International Convention on counterfeit currency would be advisable or possible;

15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, Europol and the European Central Bank.