Commission Recommendation of 29 September 2003 on a common practice for changes to the design of national obverse sides of euro circulation coins (notified under document number C(2003) 3388)
Date: 2003-09-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: euro, monetary union, money, technical specification

L 264/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

15.10.2003

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION

of 29 September 2003

on a common practice for changes to the design of national obverse sides of euro circulation
coins (1)

(notified under document number C(2003) 3388)

(Only the Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish texts are
authentic)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

(2003/734/EC)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity, and in particular Article 211 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

According to Article 106(2) of
States may issue coins subject
European Central Bank of the volume of the issue.

the Treaty, Member
to approval by the

The Council has, in accordance with the second sentence
of Article 106(2) of the Treaty, adopted harmonising
measures in this field, by way of Council Regulation (EC)
No 975/98 of 3 May 1998 on denominations and tech-
nical specifications of euro coins intended for circula-
tion (2), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 423/1999. (3)

According to Article 11 of Council Regulation (EC) No
974/98 of 3 May 1998 on the introduction of
the
euro (4), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 2596/
2000 (5), coins denominated in euro and cent and
complying with the denominations and technical specifi-
cations are to be the only coins which have the status of
‘participating’ Member States as
legal
defined in that Regulation. Since being brought
into
circulation on 1 January 2002, these coins have circu-
lated throughout the whole euro area.

tender

in all

The informal Economic and Finance Ministers Council of
Verona agreed in April 1996 that euro coins should
have a common European reverse side and a distinctive
national obverse side. The common designs for the
different denominations were chosen by the Heads of
the
State or Government of
European Council
in Amsterdam in December 1997,
following a competition organised by the Commission.
The designs on the national sides of the euro coins were
decided by each Member State.

the Member States at

(1) See also a communication by the Commission concerning this

Recommendation (OJ C 247, 15.10.2003).

(2) OJ L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 6.
(3) OJ L 52, 27.2.1999, p. 2.
(4) OJ L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 300, 29.11.2000, p. 2.

The Council agreed on 23 November 1998 that ‘there
should be a moratorium on issues of commemorative
coins intended for circulation in the early years of the
new notes and coins.’ Commemorative euro coins are
specific circulation coins and comply with the technical
specifications laid down in Regulation (EC) No 975/98,
but the standard national obverse design is replaced by a
different national design in order to commemorate a
specific event or personality.

An agreed common practice for changes to the design of
national obverse sides of euro circulation coins would
help, in particular, to ensure that parties handling coins
large are
on a professional basis and the public at
informed sufficiently far in advance of future changes of
that nature.

The Member States have been consulted on the common
practice set out in this Recommendation,
in order to
take account of their different national traditions and
preferences in this particular area. The common practice
should provide sufficient leeway for Member States to
maintain their traditions in this field.

Issues of commemorative euro circulation coins should
only commemorate events or personalities of the highest
relevance, since such coins will circulate throughout the
euro area. Less important themes should rather be cele-
brated by way of collector coins, coins which are not
intended for circulation and which must be easily distin-
guishable from circulation coins.

Limiting commemorative circulation coin issues to a
single denomination corresponds to existing practice in
a number of Member States and creates an appropriate
framework for such issues. The 2-euro coin constitutes
the most suitable denomination for this purpose, princi-
pally on account of the large diameter of the coin and
its technical characteristics offering adequate protection
against counterfeiting.

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

Certain volume limits for commemorative circulation
coins are necessary, in order to ensure that such coins
remain a small percentage of the total number of 2-euro
coins in circulation. At
the ceilings
should allow for the issuance of sufficient coins to
ensure that commemorative coins can circulate effec-
tively, at least for a certain period.

the same time,

15.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 264/39

(11)

The Community has concluded monetary agreements
with the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of San
Marino and the Vatican City State, allowing them to
issue certain quantities of euro circulation coins. The
common practice should also be applicable to the circu-
lation coins issued by those States,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS:

Article 1

Changes

to the national

sides of
circulation coins

the normal euro

Without prejudice to Article 2 of this Recommendation, the
designs used for the national obverse sides of the circulation
coins denominated in euro or in cent should not be modified
until the end of 2008, except in those cases where a Head of
State depicted on a coin changes. Before the end of this period,
the Commission should prepare a review examining whether
this moratorium should be extended or whether a different
practice should be introduced.

Article 2

Issuance of commemorative euro circulation coins

As from 2004, the issuance of commemorative euro circulation
coins showing a different national obverse design from that of
the normal euro circulation coins should comply with the
following rules:

(a) the number of issues should be limited to one per issuing
State per year, without prejudice to point (c)(i). This limit
would not apply to possible commemorative euro circula-
tion coins collectively issued by all euro-area countries;

(b) the 2-euro coin should be the sole denomination used for

such issues;

(c) the total number of coins put into circulation for each indi-
vidual issue should not exceed the higher of the following
two ceilings:
(i) 0,1 % of the total number of 2-euro coins brought into
circulation by all issuing States up to the beginning of
the
the year preceding the year of
commemorative coin, this ceiling being raised to 2,0 %
of the total circulation of 2-euro coins of all issuing
States if a truly global and highly symbolic event is
commemorated, in which case the issuer should refrain
from launching another similar commemorative circu-

issuance of

lation coin issue during the subsequent four years and
should, moreover, set out the reasons for choosing the
raised ceiling in the context of the prior-information
rules provided for in Article 3(b);

(ii) 5,0 % of the total number of 2-euro coins brought into
circulation by the issuing State concerned up to the
beginning of the year preceding the year of issuance of
the commemorative coin.

Article 3

Design of the national sides and publication of future
changes

The following rules should apply to all circulation coins
denominated in euro or in cent:

(a) in accordance with established practice, the national side
should bear 12 stars surrounding the design and the year
mark;

(b) the Commission should be informed about

intended
changes to the national obverse designs of euro coins at
least six months before the coins are issued; it will refer to
the Economic and Financial Committee for approval of all
commemorative circulation coin issues having an envisaged
issuing volume exceeding the 0,1 % ceiling referred to in
Article 2(c)(i);

(c) all relevant information on new national coin designs will
be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 4

Addressees

This Recommendation is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium,
the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the
Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic,
Ireland, the Italian
Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of
the Portuguese
the Republic of Austria,
the Netherlands,
Republic and the Republic of Finland.

Done at Brussels, 29 September 2003.

For the Commission

Pedro SOLBES MIRA

Member of the Commission