Consultation announcement regarding possible legislation on the incorporation of counterfeit deterrence technology in products capable of handling digital images
Date: 2003-10-24
Institutions: European Central Bank
Subjects: European Central Bank, digital technology, economic offence, euro, fraud

C 255/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.10.2003

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

Consultation announcement regarding possible legislation on the incorporation of counterfeit
deterrence technology in products capable of handling digital images

(2003/C 255/13)

In the context of protecting euro banknotes against counter-
feiting the European Central Bank (ECB) invites manufacturers
based in the European Union (EU)
and importers or
images
distributors of products capable of handling digital
(hereinafter ‘the industry’) to submit comments in connection
with the ECB's request to the Commission of the European
Communities to initiate legislation making it mandatory to
into such
incorporate
products. Such legislation would apply to products produced,
imported or distributed in the EU. Any individual, organisation
or group of organisations may submit comments.

counterfeit deterrence

technology

images for
counterfeit deterrence technology.

the purposes of counterfeiting,

to incorporate

Any individual, organisation or group of organisations that
could be affected by such legislation is invited to submit
comments on, inter alia, the possible impact of such legislation
on the following:

(1) products;

(2) costs;

Counterfeit deterrence

(3) competitive position both inside and outside the EU;

scanners, digital

The ECB,
in partnership with a number of major banknote
issuing authorities, has formed the Central Bank Counterfeit
to paper
Deterrence Group (CBCDG) to address the threat
currency posed by the increasing use of personal computers,
imaging tools and other
inkjet printers,
products capable of handling digital
images. The CBCDG,
which was established by the Governors of the central banks
of the G-10, seeks to engage the industry in developing and
implementing technologies that will prevent the digital repro-
duction of banknote images. To further this goal the ECB and
other central bank members of
the CBCDG have begun
soliciting support from the industry for the incorporation of
counterfeit deterrence technologies in software and hardware
products.

The initiatives

The CBCDG has developed counterfeit deterrence technology
which is currently available for use by equipment or software
international
free of charge. A number of
manufacturers
companies have already started to incorporate this technology
into their products on a voluntary basis. However, given the
size of this market segment, concluding separate agreements
with all of the undertakings concerned is not considered a
workable option.

As a result, the possibility of enacting appropriate Community
legislation is under consideration. Such legislation would
require any equipment, software or other products manu-
factured,
imported, distributed or sold within the EU that is
capable of capturing images or transferring images into, or out
of, computer systems or of manipulating or producing digital

(4) market share; and

(5) future business developments.

Comments in English or in the relevant Community language
are invited from all interested parties by 19 December 2003,
either by e-mail to cac@ecb.int or by registered post to:

Counterfeit Analysis Centre
European Central Bank
Kaiserstraße 29
D-60311 Frankfurt am Main.

Subject
seminars may be held.

to the level and nature of

the response briefing

The ECB may publish submitted comments, except for any
parts identified by the submitter as confidential, and use
them in the context of the abovementioned seminars or in
discussions with the Community legislator.

Further information on the fight against counterfeiting of the
euro can be found at:

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/anti_fraud/pages_euro/
index_en.html

or

http://www.euro.ecb.int