2024-01-01

Decision Amending the Handling of Suspect Euro Banknotes and Coins Against Counterfeiting

The Council of the Central Bank of Montenegro has issued this decision to update the regulatory framework for handling suspect euro banknotes and coins. It replaces "banks" with "credit institutions," redefines financial entities, and explicitly assigns technical analysis, data management, and training responsibilities to the National Counterfeit, Analysis, and Coin National Analysis Centres. The amended decision mandates enhanced cooperation between these national centres and European bodies like the ECB and DG ECFIN, while requiring cash handlers to undergo authenticity-checking training.

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Pursuant to Article 44 paragraph 2 point 3 and in conjunction with Article 25 of the Central Bank of Montenegro Law (OGM 40/10, 46/10, 06/13, 70/17), the Council of the Central Bank of Montenegro, at its meeting held on 7 September 2018, has passed the following DECISION amending the Decision on the Handling of Suspect Euro Banknotes and Coins and Other Activities Aimed at Protecting the Euro against Counterfeiting Article 1 In Article 3 paragraph 1 item 3 of the Decision on the handling of suspect euro banknotes and coins and other activities aimed at protecting the euro against counterfeiting (OGM 35/11) the word “banks” shall be replaced by the following: “credit institutions”. Paragraph 2 shall be amended, worded as follows: “Financial institution, within the meaning of paragraph 1 item 3 above, shall be legal persons providing financial services licensed and/or approved by the Central Bank for providing financial services“. Article 2 Articles 8, 9 and 10 shall be amended, worded as follows: “Article 8 The National Counterfeit Centre shall:

  • collect technical and statistical information about counterfeit euro banknotes and coins, establish the counterfeit monitoring system, and allow access to the data on counterfeits in accordance with this decision and other regulations;
  • establish all technical and statistical information relating to counterfeit euro banknotes and coins within the counterfeit monitoring system, including a detailed content of the database on seized and detected counterfeits with their detailed images, functions necessary to administer the system, the network and communications, as well as security standards;
  • prepare and communicate information on new counterfeit euro banknotes and coins that are subject of cooperation with competent authorities in the country and abroad;
  • participate in the preparation and implementation of the agreements with the competent authorities in the country and abroad on cooperation in the areas of prevention and detection of counterfeiting and for cooperation with manufacturers of devices for verifying the authenticity of banknotes;

Article 9 National Analysis Centre shall:

  • perform technical analysis of suspected counterfeit euro banknotes and prepare reports thereof;
  • classify counterfeits;

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  • prepare reports on counterfeiting of euro banknotes;
  • store all samples of detected counterfeit banknotes;
  • participate in the preparation and implementation of the agreements with the competent authorities in the country and abroad on cooperation in the areas of prevention and detection of counterfeiting and for cooperation with manufacturers of devices for verifying the authenticity of euro banknotes;
  • organise and carry out the training of employees of cash handlers and all other interested parties handling euro banknotes in order to prevent and detect counterfeits. Article 10 Coin National Analysis Centre shall:
  • perform technical analysis of suspected counterfeit euro coins and prepare reports thereof;
  • classify counterfeits;
  • prepare reports on detected counterfeit euro coins;
  • store samples of detected counterfeit euro coins;
  • participate in the preparation and implementation of the agreements with the competent authorities in the country and abroad on cooperation in the areas of prevention and detection of counterfeiting and for cooperation with manufacturers of devices for verifying the authenticity of euro coins;
  • organise and carry out the training of employees of cash handlers and all other interested parties handling euro coins in order to prevent and detect counterfeits.“ Article 3 In Article 13 paragraph 2 the words “The National Counterfeit Centre may” shall be replaced by the following: “The National Analysis Centre and Coin National Analysis Centre may”, and the words: “the European Technical and Scientific Centre” shall be replaced by the following: “the European Commission - Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN)/ European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC)”. Article 4 In Article 14 the words: “the National Counterfeit Centre may” shall be replaced by the following: “the National Centres may”. Article 5 Article 16 shall be amended, worded as follows: “Article 16 The National Analysis Centre and the Coin National Analysis Centre shall organise training for authenticity checking of euro banknotes and coins for employees of cash handlers.” Article 6 In Article 17 paragraph 1 the words: “the National Counterfeit Centre shall cooperate”, shall be replaced by the following “the National Centres shall cooperate”.

3 In paragraph 2 the words: “In particular, the National Counterfeit Centre in the performance of their respective tasks, shall cooperate” shall be replaced by the following: “The National Centres shall cooperate, in the performance of their respective tasks, in particular”. In paragraph 3 the words: “The National Counterfeit Centre is obliged to” shall be replaced by the following: “The National Centres shall”. Article 7 Article 18 shall be amended, worded as follows: “Article 18 The National Counterfeit Centre shall establish cooperation with foreign authorities and bodies responsible for the prevention of counterfeiting and detecting counterfeits and the national centres of other countries. With a view to accomplishing the cooperation specified under paragraph 1 above, the National Analysis Centre shall cooperate with the European Central Bank (ECB) and the ECB`s Counterfeit Analysis Centre (CAC), while Coin National Analysis Centre shall cooperate with the European Commission - Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) and the European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC).“ Article 8 This Decision shall enter into force on the eighth day following that of its publication in the Official Gazette of Montenegro. THE COUNCIL OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF MONTENEGRO CHAIRMAN G O V E R N O R, Decision number: 0101-6850-5/2018 Podgorica, 7 September 2018 Radoje Žugić, m.p.