99/655/EC: Decision of the European Central bank of 26 August 1999 amending the Decision of the European Central Bank of 7 July 1998 (ECB/1998/6) on the denominations, specifications, reproduction, exchange and withdrawal of euro banknotes (ECB/1999/2)
Date: 1999-08-26
Institutions: European Central Bank
Subjects: Economic and Monetary Union, euro, issue of securities, money, reprography, technical specification

5. 10. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 258/29

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

of 26 August 1999

amending the Decision of the European Central Bank of 7 July 1998 (ECB/1998/6) on the
denominations, specifications, reproduction, exchange and withdrawal of euro banknotes

(ECB/1999/2)

(1999/655/EC)

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL
BANK,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Treaty’) and in
particular to Article 106(1) thereof and to Article 16 of the
Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the
European Central Bank,

(1) Whereas it

is appropriate to amend the principles
according to which the commercial reproduction of the
designs of banknotes will be permitted;

(2) Whereas the references to Articles of the Treaty shall be
brought into line with the new numbering introduced
by the Treaty of Amsterdam; whereas the wording of the
preamble, the final provision and the closing formula of
the Decision of the European Central Bank of 7 July
1998 (ECB/1998/6) on the denominations, specifica-
tions, reproduction, exchange and withdrawal of euro
banknotes
into line with current
procedures,

shall be brought

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Amendment to Article 2(2)

Article 2(2) of the Decision of the European Central Bank of 7
July 1998 (ECB/1998/6) on the denominations, specifications,
reproduction, exchange and withdrawal of euro banknotes
shall read as follows:

‘The reproduction of all or part of a banknote specified in
Article 1 of this Decision is authorised without recourse to
a specific procedure in the following cases:

(a) for photographs, drawings, paintings, films, and gener-
ally for any type of image in which the focus is not the
banknotes or reproductions themselves and which do
not provide a close-up view of the banknote designs;

(b) for reproductions which are more than 125 % or less
than 75 % of both the length and the width of the
respective banknote as specified in Article 1 of this
Decision, irrespective of the material used for the repro-
duction.’

Article 2

Final provisions

1.
A consolidated version of the Decision of the European
Central Bank of 7 July 1998 (ECB/1998/6), as amended by the
Decision of the European Central Bank of 26 August 1999
(ECB/1999/2),

is attached.

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of

2.
the European Communities.

Done at Frankfurt am Main on 26 August 1999.

The President of the ECB

Willem F. DUISENBERG

L 258/30

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

5. 10. 1999

ANNEX

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

of 7 July 1998

on the denominations, specifications, reproduction, exchange and withdrawal of euro banknotes (ECB/1998/6) as
amended by the Decision of the European Central Bank of 26 August 1999 (ECB/1999/2)

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL
BANK,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community
(hereinafter referred to as the ‘Treaty’) and in particular to Article
106(1) thereof and to Article 16 of the Statute of the European System
of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank (hereinafter referred
to as the ‘Statute’),

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 974/98 of 3 May 1998
on the introduction of the euro (1) and in particular to Articles 10 and
16 thereof,

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Whereas the provisions of Article 106(1) of the Treaty, Article
16 of the Statute and Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 974/98
of 3 May 1998 on the introduction of the euro require more
precise details on the denominations and specifications of the
euro banknotes; whereas such details may be provided by
means of a Decision of the Governing Council of the European
Central Bank, published for general information in the Official
Journal of the European Communities;

Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 975/98 of 3 May 1998 on
specifications of euro coins
denominations and technical
intended for circulation (2) stipulates that the denominations of
the euro coins will range from 1 cent to EUR 2; whereas the
denominations of the euro banknotes should take into account
the denominations of the euro coins;

Whereas the present Decision takes into account the prepara-
tory work carried out by the European Monetary Institute (here-
inafter referred to as the ‘EMI’) and, in particular with regard to
the banknote designs, the results of a Europe-wide competition
between banknote designers; whereas such preparatory work
included consultations with European associations of several
categories of banknote users in order to take into account their
specific visual and technical requirements and to facilitate the
recognition and acceptance of the new banknote denominations
and specifications by users; whereas the European Central Bank
(hereinafter referred to as the ‘ECB’)
is the recipient of the
copyright on the designs of the euro banknotes, originally held
by the EMI;

Whereas it is necessary to establish some common guiding
principles according to which the commercial reproduction of
the designs of banknotes will be permitted; whereas the ECB
shall have recourse to the national central banks (hereinafter
referred to as the ‘NCBs’) of participating Member States for ad
hoc authorisation to reproduce banknote designs; whereas, as a
general policy; reproduction of the banknote designs to which
this Decision refers shall be authorised, inter alia, for educational
purposes;

need to establish a common regime also applies to the final
withdrawal of banknotes when these are to be replaced by new
banknotes; whereas the publication of announcements in the
Official Journal of the European Communities may be accompanied
by other means of publication that may facilitate due acknowl-
edgement by the general public,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Denominations and specifications

1.
The first series of euro banknotes will include seven denomina-
tions in the range of EUR 5 to EUR 500, depicting the theme ‘Ages
and styles of Europe’, with the following basic specifications.

Face value
(EUR)

Dimensions

Dominant
colour

Design

5

120 × 62 mm Grey

Classical

10

127 × 67 mm Red

Romanesque

20

133 × 72 mm Blue

Gothic

50

140 × 77 mm Orange

Renaissance

100

147 × 82 mm Green

Baroque

and

Rococo

200

153 × 82 mm Yellow-
Brown

Iron and glass architec-
ture

500

160 × 82 mm Purple

Modern 20th
architecture

century

2.
The seven denominations in the euro banknote series bear the
representation of gateways and windows on the recto and bridges on
the verso. All seven denominations are typical of the different European
artistic periods referred to above. Other elements of the designs include:
the symbol of the European Union; the name of the currency in the
Roman and Greek alphabets; the initials of the European Central Bank
in their official language variants; the symbol  to indicate the copy-
right protection; and the signature of the President of the ECB.

(5)

Whereas a common regime under which the NCBs of partici-
pating Member States are prepared to exchange mutilated or
damaged euro banknotes needs to be established; whereas the

Article 2

Reproduction

(1) OJ L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 1 and following.
(2) OJ L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 6 and following.

The copyright on the banknotes specified in Article 1 of this

1.
Decision belongs to the ECB.

5. 10. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 258/31

The reproduction of all or part of a banknote specified in Article
2.
1 of this Decision is authorised without recourse to a specific procedure
in the following cases:

(c) written explanations of the kind of stain, contamination or impreg-
nation when inkstained, contaminated or impregnated banknotes
are presented;

(a) for photographs, drawings, paintings, films, and generally for any
type of image in which the focus is not the banknotes or reproduc-
tions themselves, and which do not provide a close-up view of the
banknote designs;

(b) for reproductions which are more than 125 % or less than 75 % of
both the length and the width of the respective banknote as speci-
fied in Article 1 of this Decision, irrespective of the material used
for the reproduction.

3.
Any other reproduction of all or part of a banknote has to be
authorised by (i) the NCB of the participating Member State in which
the applicant is located, under delegation from and in accordance with
the policies of the ECB, or (ii) the ECB, for applicants located outside
the participating Member States.

4.
General authorisation of reproductions under the above rules may
be cancelled in the event of a conflict with the unalienable moral rights
of the author of the banknote designs.

Article 3

Exchange of mutilated or damaged banknotes

1.
NCBs of participating Member States shall, on request, exchange
mutilated or damaged legal tender euro banknotes in the following
cases:

(a) when more than 50 % of the banknote is presented;

(b) when 50 % or less of the banknote is presented if the applicant

proves that the missing parts have been destroyed.

2.

(a)

The exchange of mutilated or damaged banknotes shall require:

identification of the applicant in cases of doubt as to the applicant's
legal title to the banknotes and the authenticity of the banknotes;

(b) on reasonable suspicion that a criminal offence has been committed
or that the banknote has been intentionally mutilated or damaged,
written explanations with regard to the cause of the mutilation or
damage and what has become of the missing parts of the banknote;

(d) a written statement on the cause and kind of neutralisation when
banknotes are submitted by credit institutions if they have been
discoloured by activated anti-theft devices;

(e) payment by the applicant of the fee that the ECB may establish in

cases of labourintensive analysis by NCBs.

Article 4

Withdrawal of banknotes

The withdrawal of a euro banknote type or series will be regulated by a
Decision of the Governing Council published for general information in
the Official Journal of the European Communities and other media. This
Decision will cover, as a minimum, the following points:
— the euro banknote type or series to be withdrawn from circulation,
— the duration of the exchange period,
— the date on which the euro banknote type or series will lose its legal

tender status,

— the treatment of the euro banknotes presented once the withdrawal
period is over and/or they have lost their legal tender status.

Article 5

Final provision

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.

Done at Frankfurt am Main on 7 July 1998.

The President of the ECB

Willem F. Duisenberg