Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation
Date: 2010-11-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU publication, Economic and Monetary Union, codification of EU law, euro, issue of securities, money, technical specification

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION  

Brussels, 26.11.2010 
COM(2010) 691 final 

2010/0338 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  

on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation 

(Codification) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

In  the  context  of  a  people’s  Europe,  the  Commission  attaches  great  importance  to 
simplifying  and  clarifying  the  law  of  the  Union  so  as  to  make  it  clearer  and  more 
accessible to the citizens, thus giving them new opportunities and the chance to make 
use of the specific rights it gives them. 

This aim cannot be achieved so long as numerous provisions that have been amended 
several times, often quite substantially, remain scattered, so that they must be sought 
partly  in  the  original  instrument  and  partly  in  later  amending  ones.  Considerable 
research work, comparing many different instruments, is thus needed to identify the 
current rules. 

For  this  reason  a  codification  of  rules  that  have  frequently  been  amended  is  also 
essential if the law is to be clear and transparent. 

On 1 April 1987 the Commission decided1 to instruct its staff that all acts should be 
codified  after  no  more  than  ten  amendments,  stressing  that  this  is  a  minimum 
requirement  and  that  departments  should  endeavour  to  codify  at  even  shorter 
intervals the texts for which they are responsible, to ensure that their provisions are 
clear and readily understandable. 

The  Conclusions  of 
the  Edinburgh  European  Council 
(December 1992) confirmed this2, stressing the importance of codification as it offers 
certainty as to the law applicable to a given matter at a given time. 

the  Presidency  of 

Codification  must  be  undertaken  in  full  compliance  with  the  normal  procedure  for 
the adoption of acts of the Union. 

Given  that  no  changes  of  substance  may  be  made  to  the  instruments  affected  by 
codification, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have agreed, 
by  an  interinstitutional  agreement  dated  20  December  1994,  that  an  accelerated 
procedure may be used for the fast-track adoption of codification instruments. 

The  purpose  of  this  proposal  is  to  undertake  a  codification  of  Council  Regulation 
(EC)  No  975/98  of  3  May  1998  on  denominations  and  technical  specifications  of 
euro coins intended for circulation3. The new Regulation will supersede the various 
acts  incorporated  in  it4;  this  proposal  fully  preserves  the  content  of  the  acts  being 
codified and hence does no more than bringing them together with only such formal 
amendments as are required by the codification exercise itself. 

The codification proposal was drawn up on the basis of a preliminary consolidation, 
in 22 official languages, of Regulation (EC) No 975/98 and the Regulation amending 
it,  carried  out  by  the  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  by  means  of  a 
data-processing  system.  Where  the  Articles  have  been  given  new  numbers,  the 
correlation  between  the  old  and  the  new  numbers  is  shown  in  a  table  contained  in 
Annex III to the codified Regulation. 

COM(87) 868 PV. 
See Annex 3 to Part A of the Conclusions. 
Carried out pursuant to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the 
Council – Codification of the Acquis communautaire, COM(2001) 645 final. 
See Annex II to this proposal. 

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(cid:208) 975/98 (adapted) 

2010/0338 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  

on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation 

(codification) 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article ⌦ 128(2) ⌫ thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament5, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank6, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  975/98  of  3 May  1998  on  denominations  and  technical 
specifications of euro coins intended for circulation has been substantially amended7. 
In the interests of clarity and rationality the said Regulation should be codified. 

(cid:208)  

(cid:208) 975/98 (adapted) 

(2) 

According to Article ⌦ 128(2) ⌫ of the Treaty, Member States may issue euro coins 
subject to approval by the European Central Bank (ECB) of the volume of the issue. 
The Council on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting ⌦ the European 
Parliament and ⌫ the ECB, may adopt measures to harmonise the denominations and 
technical specifications of all coins intended for circulation to the extent necessary to 
permit their smooth circulation within the Union. 

(3) 

Euro  banknotes  range  from  5  to  500  ⌦ euro ⌫  .  The  denominations  of  banknotes 
and coins need to allow for cash payments of amounts expressed in euro and cent to be 
made easily. 

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OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
See Annex II. 

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(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

The mint directors of the Union submitted a report in November 1996 followed by a 
revised  report  in  February  1997  indicating  the  denominations  and  technical 
specifications (diameter, thickness, weight, colour, composition and edge) of the euro 
coins. 

The  European  single  coinage  system  should  induce  public  confidence  and  entail 
technological innovations ⌦ which ensure that ⌫ it is a secure, reliable and efficient 
system. 

The  acceptance  of  the  system  by  the  public  is  one  of  the  main  objectives  of  the 
coinage system of the Union. Public confidence in the system depends on the physical 
characteristics of the euro coins, which should be as user-friendly as possible. 

Consultations  with  consumer  associations, 
the  European  Blind  Union  and 
representatives of the vending machines industry ⌦ were ⌫ carried out to take into 
account  the  specific  requirements  of  important  categories  of  coin  users.  In  order  to 
ensure  a  smooth  changeover  to  the  euro  and  to  facilitate  acceptance  of  the  coinage 
systems  by  users,  easy  distinction  between  coins  through  visual  and  tactile 
characteristics ⌦ needed ⌫ to be guaranteed. 

The  euro  coins  ⌦ are ⌫  more  readily  distinguishable  and  easier  to  become 
accustomed to ⌦ because of the ⌫ link between their diameter and face value. 

Certain special security features are needed in order to reduce the scope for fraud for 
the 1 and 2 euro coins given their high value. The use of a technique whereby coins 
are made in three layers and the combination of two different colours in the coin are 
considered to be the most efficient security features available. 

(10)  Giving the coins one European and one national side is an appropriate expression of 

the idea of European monetary union between Member States. 

(11)  European Parliament and Council Directive 94/27/EC of 30 June 1994 amending for 
the 12th time Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and 
administrative  provisions  of  the  Member States  relating  to  restrictions  on  the 
marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations8 limits the use of 
nickel in certain products in recognition that nickel could cause allergies under certain 
conditions.  Coins  are  not  covered  by  that  Directive.  It  seems  desirable  to  reduce  the 
nickel content of coins ⌦ for reasons of public health ⌫. 

(cid:208) 975/98 

(12) 

It  is  therefore  appropriate  to  follow  in  principle  the  proposal  of  the  aforesaid  mint 
directors and to adapt it only to the extent necessary to take into account in particular 
the specific requirements of important categories of coin users and the need to reduce 
the use of nickel in coins. 

(13)  Of all prescribed technical specifications for euro coins, only the value for thickness is 
of  an  indicative  nature  since  the  actual  thickness  of  a  coin  depends  on  prescribed 
diameter and weight, 

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OJ L 188, 22.7.1994, p. 1. 

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HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

(cid:208) 975/98 (adapted) 

Article 1 

The series of euro coins ⌦ shall ⌫ include eight denominations in the range from 1 cent to 
2 euro ⌦which shall meet the technical specifications set out in Annex I.⌫  

(cid:208)  

Article 2 

Regulation (EC) No 975/98 is repealed. 

References to the repealed Regulation shall be construed as references to this Regulation and 
shall be read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex III. 

(cid:208) 975/98 (adapted) 

Article 3 

This Regulation shall enter into force on ⌦ the twentieth day following that of its publication 
in the Official Journal of the European Union ⌫ . 

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States, 
in accordance with the Treaties. 

Done at Brussels, […] 

For the Council 
The President 
[…] 

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(cid:208) 975/98 (adapted) 
(cid:206)1 423/1999 Art. 1 pt. 1(a) 
(cid:206)2 423/1999 Art. 1 pt. 1(b) 
(cid:206)3 423/1999 Art. 1 pt. 1(c) 
(cid:206)4 423/1999 Art. 1 pt. 2 

ANNEX I 

⌦Technical specifications referred to in Article 1⌫ 

Face 
value 
(euro) 

Diamet
er in 
mm 

Thickn
ess in 
mm (1) 

Weight 
in gr 

Shape 

Colour 

Composition 

Edge 

2 

25,75 

1,95 

8,5  Round 

External 
part: white 

Copper-nickel 
(Cu75Ni25) 

Edge 
lettering 
Fine milled 

1 

23,25 

2,125 

7,5  Round 

Internal 
part: 
yellow 

External 
part: 
yellow 

Internal 
part: white 

Three-layers: 
nickel-
brass/nickel/nickel-brass 
CuZn20Ni5/Ni12/CuZn
20Ni5 

Nickel-brass 
(CuZn20Ni5) 

Interrupted 
milled 

Three-layers: 
Cu75Ni25/Ni7/Cu75Ni2
5 

0,50 

24,25  (cid:206)1 1,
88  

(cid:206)2 7,
8  

Round  Yellow 

0,20 

22,25 

1,63 

5,7 

Yellow 

‘Spanis
h 
flower’ 
shape 

0,10 

19,75 

1,51 

4,1  Round  Yellow 

Nordic Gold 
Cu89Al5Zn5Sn1 

Nordic Gold 
Cu89Al5Zn5Sn1 

Nordic Gold 
Cu89Al5Zn5Sn1 

(cid:206)3 shaped 
edge with 
fine 
scallops  

Plain 

(cid:206)4 shaped 
edge with 
fine 
scallops  

0,05 

21,25 

1,36 

3,9  Round  Red 

Copper-covered steel 

Smooth 

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0,02 

18,75 

1,36 

3 

Round  Red 

Copper-covered steel 

Smooth 
with a 
groove 

0,01 

16,25 

1,36 

2,3  Round  Red 

Copper-covered steel 

Smooth 

(1) 

The values relating to thickness are of an indicative nature. 

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(cid:207) 

ANNEX II 

Repealed Regulation with its amendment 

Council Regulation (EC) No 975/98 

(OJ L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 6) 

Council Regulation (EC) No 423/1999 

(OJ L 52, 27.2.1999, p. 2) 

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ANNEX III 

CORRELATION TABLE 

Regulation (EC) No 975/98 

This Regulation 

Article 1 

- 

Article 2 

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_ 

_ 

Article 1 

Article 2 

Article 3 

Annex I 

Annex II 

Annex III 

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