COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EC) No 975/98 of 3 May 1998 on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EC) No 975/98 of 3 May 1998 on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation
Date: 2011-05-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: euro, issuing of currency, paper money, technical specification

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 25.5.2011 
COM(2011) 296 final 

2011/0128 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

amending Regulation (EC) No 975/98 of 3 May 1998 on denominations and technical 
specifications of euro coins intended for circulation 

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2011/0128 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

amending Regulation (EC) No 975/98 of 3 May 1998 on denominations and technical 
specifications of euro coins intended for circulation 

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 Parliament, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

The  Commission  Recommendation  2009/23/EC  of  19  December  2008  on  common 
guidelines  for  the  national  sides  and  the  issuance  of  euro  coins  intended  for 
circulation1,  endorsed  by  the  Council  conclusions  of  10  February  2009,  defines 
common principles for the designs used for the national sides of euro circulation coins 
and for the mutual information and approval of those designs. 

As the euro coins circulate throughout the euro area, their national design features are 
a matter of common interest. To permit their smooth circulation and in the interest of 
legal  certainty  and 
those  rules  of 
Recommendation 2009/23/EC that concern denominations and technical specifications 
of euro circulation coins, a legally binding form by integrating them into the existing 
Council Regulation (EC) 975/98 on denominations and technical specifications of euro 
coins intended for circulation2. 

is  appropriate 

transparency 

to  give 

it 

Euro coins have a common European side and a distinctive national side. The common 
European  sides  of  the  euro  coins  bear  both  the  name  of  the  single  currency  and  the 
denomination  of  the  coin.  The  national  side  should  neither  repeat  the  name  of  the 
single currency nor the denomination of the coin. 

A  clear  indication  of  the  name  of  the  issuing  Member  State  should  be  put  on  the 
national side of the euro coin in order to allow interested coin users to easily identify 
the issuing Member State. 

1 
2 

OJ L 9, 14.1.2009, p. 52. 
OJ L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 6. 

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(5) 

(6) 

The designs on the national sides of the euro coins are decided by each participating 
Member State within the limits set by the present Regulation and taking into account 
the  fact  that  euro  coins  circulate  in  the  whole  euro  area  and  not  only  in  the  issuing 
Member  State.  In  order  to  ensure  that  also  the  national  side  is  immediately 
recognisable as a euro coin, the design should be fully surrounded by the 12 stars of 
the European flag.  

In order to facilitate the recognition of euro circulation coins and ensure an appropriate 
continuity  in  the  minting,  the  designs  used  for  the  national  sides  of  regular  euro 
circulation  coins  should  in  principle  not  be  modified,  except  if  the  Head  of  State 
referred to on a coin changes. 

(7)  Member  States  should  however  be  allowed to  issue  commemorative  euro  circulation 
coins  to  celebrate  subjects  of  major  national  or  European  relevance,  whereas 
commemorative coins collectively issued by all participating Member States should be 
reserved  for  subjects  of  the  highest  European  relevance.  The  2-euro  coin  constitutes 
the  most  suitable  denomination  for  this  purpose,  principally  on  account  of  the  large 
diameter  of  the  coin  and  its  technical  characteristics  offering  adequate  protection 
against counterfeiting. 

(8) 

Issuing  Member  States  should  inform  each  other  about  new  national  sides  well  in 
advance  of  the  planned  issue  date.  To  this  effect,  issuing  Member  States  should 
forward  their  draft  euro  coin  designs  to  the  Commission,  which  will  verify  the 
compliance with this Regulation. 

(9) 

Regulation (EC) No 975/98 should therefore be amended accordingly. 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

In Regulation (EC) 975/98 the following Articles 1a–1h are inserted: 

Article 1 

'Article 1a 

Types of euro circulation coins 

1. Euro coins intended for circulation shall be either regular or commemorative. 

2. Euro circulation coins shall have a common European side and a distinctive national side. 

Article 1b 

Absence of the currency name and denomination on the national side 

1.  The  national  side  of  euro  circulation  coins  shall  not  repeat  any  indication  of  the 
denomination,  or  any  parts  thereof,  of  the  coin.  It  shall  not  repeat  the  name  of  the  single 
currency  or  of  its  subdivision,  unless  such  indication  stems  from  the  use  of  a  different 
alphabet. 

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2.  The  edge  lettering  of  the  2-euro  coin  may,  however,  include  an  indication  of  the 
denomination, provided that only the figure '2' or the term 'euro' or both are used. 

Article 1c 

Identification of the issuing Member State on the national side 

The national side of all the denominations of euro circulation coins shall bear an indication of 
the issuing Member State by means of the Member State’s name or an abbreviation of it. 

Article 1d 

Design of the national sides 

1. The national side of euro circulation coins shall bear 12 stars that shall fully surround the 
national  design,  including  the  year  mark  and  the  indication  of  the  issuing  Member  State's 
name. The 12 stars shall be depicted as on the European flag. 

2. The design shall be chosen taking into account that euro coins circulate in all participating 
Member States as defined in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 974/983. 

Article 1e 

Changes to the national sides of regular euro circulation coins 

1.  Without  prejudice  to  Article  1f,  the  designs  used  for  the  national  sides  of  the  circulation 
coins denominated in euro or in cent shall not be modified, except in cases where the Head of 
State  referred  to  on  a  coin  changes.  Issuing  Member  States  shall,  however,  be  allowed  to 
update the design of euro coins depicting the Head of State every fifteen years in order to take 
account  of  a  change  in  the  appearance  of  the  Head  of  State.  Issuing  Member  States  shall 
update their national sides of euro coins in order to fully comply with this Regulation before 
the end of the transitional period laid down in Article 1h. 

2. A temporary vacancy or the provisional occupation of the function of Head of State shall 
not give the right to change the national sides of the regular euro circulation coins. 

Article 1f 

Commemorative euro circulation coins 

1. Commemorative euro circulation coins shall bear a different national design from  that of 
the regular euro circulation coins and shall only commemorate subjects of major national or 
European  relevance.  Commemorative  euro  circulation  coins  collectively  issued  by  all 
participating  Member  States  shall  only  commemorate  subjects  of  the  highest  European 
relevance. 

2. The edge lettering on commemorative euro circulation coins shall be the same as on regular 
euro circulation coins. 

3. Commemorative circulation coins may only have the face value of 2 euro. 

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OJ L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 1. 

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Article 1g 

Information procedure and publication of changes of the national sides 

1. Member States shall inform each other on the draft designs of new national sides of euro 
circulation  coins,  including  the  edge  letterings,  and  of  the  volume  of  issuance  before  they 
formally approve these designs. 

2. For the purpose of paragraph 1, new draft designs of euro coins shall be forwarded by the 
issuing  Member  State  to  the  Commission  at  least  six  months  before  the  planned  issue  date. 
The Commission shall verify compliance with the provisions of this Regulation without delay 
and at the latest within ten working days. 

3. If and when the Commission considers that the provisions of this Regulation are respected, 
it  shall  provide  this  assessment  without  delay  to  the  issuing  Member  State.  It  shall  also 
provide  the  assessment  to  the  other  Member  States  without  delay  via  the  Economic  and 
Financial Committee’s relevant subcommittee. If a Member State considers that the design is 
not  appropriate,  taking  into  account  that  euro  coins  circulate  in  all  participating  Member 
States,  it  shall  inform  the  Commission  within  five  working  days.  The  Commission  shall 
subsequently take the final decision on the approval or rejection of the design without delay. 

4. If and when the Commission considers that the provisions of the present Regulation are not 
respected, it shall inform without delay the issuing Member State, which shall submit a new 
design. 

5.  All  relevant  information  on  new  national  euro  coin  designs  shall  be  published  by  the 
Commission in the Official Journal of the European Union. 

Article 1h 

Transitional provisions 

Articles 1b, 1c and 1d as well as Article 1f(2): 

a) shall not apply to euro circulation coins which have been issued prior to the entry into force 
of Council Regulation (EU) No … [number of the present amending Regulation to be inserted 
when adopted], 

b)  shall,  during  a  transitional  period  ending  10  years  after  the  entry  into  force  of  Council 
Regulation  (EU)  No  …[number  of  the  present  amending  Regulation  to  be  inserted  when 
adopted], not apply to the designs that are already legally in use on euro circulation coins at 
the time of the entry into force of that Regulation.'. 

Article 2 

Entry into force 

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

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It 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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