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Economy and Finance

The European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC)

The European Technical and Scientific Centre is established within the Commission in Brussels to analyse and classify every new type of counterfeit coin.

About the European Technical and Scientific Centre

The European Technical and Scientific Centre is established within the Commission in Brussels to analyse and classify every new type of counterfeit coin within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 1338/2001. It uses for that purpose the facilities of the French Mint. Furthermore, the ETSC provides training under the Pericles programme. It assists Coin National Analysis Centres (CNACs) and law enforcement authorities and cooperates with the relevant authorities in the analysis of counterfeit coins and the strengthening of the euro protection. Finally, the ETSC coordinates the implementation of the authentication procedures and the necessary actions to protect euro coins against counterfeiting through periodic meetings of counterfeit coin experts (see cooperation forums).

Tasks and measures

The Commission's European technical and scientific centre supports national efforts to combat counterfeiting of coins by:

  • coordinating technical measures, in particular the analysis and classification of the major categories of counterfeit euro coins (common classes)
  • providing Coin National Analysis Centres and police authorities with direct technical assistance
  • contributing to the development of the European Central Bank’s counterfeits database
  • establishing a register of coin-like objects that could be misused as euro coins
  • working with the coin-operated industry.

Legal Basis: 2005/37/EC: Commission Decision of 29 October 2004 establishing the European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC) and providing for coordination of technical actions to protect euro coins against counterfeiting amended by Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1507 and Commission Decision (EU) 2023/616

Authentication of euro coins/coin-processing machines

Purpose

In order to improve the protection of the euro against counterfeiting Council Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 requires credit institutions and, within the limits of their payment activity, other payment service providers and any other institutions engaged in the processing and distribution to the public of notes and coins (hereinafter "institutions") to ensure that euro notes and coins, which they have received and which they intend to put back into circulation, are checked for authenticity and that counterfeits are detected.

For coins that obligation is further detailed in Regulation (EU) No 1210/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2010 concerning authentication of euro coins and handling of euro coins unfit for circulation (hereinafter "the Regulation").

The objective of the Regulation is to ensure effective and uniform authentication of euro coins throughout the euro area by providing binding rules for the implementation of common procedures for the authentication of euro coins in circulation as well as for implementation of control mechanisms of the authentication procedures by the national authorities.

Categories of machines

The Regulation provides that the authentication obligation shall be implemented by means of coin-processing machines or by trained personnel.

13 JANUARY 2017
Categories of coin-processing machines
English
(95.48 KB - PDF)
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Following the authentication procedure all suspected counterfeit coins and coins unfit for circulation are to be sent to the Coin National Analysis Centre or another authority designated by the Member State concerned.

Detection Test

Institutions shall use only the types of coin-processing machines that have successfully passed a detection test carried out by the designated national authority or by the ETSC and that were listed on the website referred to in Article 5(2) at the time of their purchase.

The detection test shall be designed to ensure that a coin-processing machine is capable of rejecting the known types of counterfeit euro coins and, in the process, euro coins unfit for circulation and all other coin-like objects that do not comply with the specifications of genuine euro coins.

29 OCTOBER 2019
ETSC Guidelines
English
(4.37 MB - PDF)
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Publication of test results of successfully tested coin-processing machines

Only coin-processing machines, for which a positive and valid detection test report summary is received or prepared by the ETSC are listed.

The validity period for a successful test is twenty-four months.

Due to the disruption of activities that the coronavirus crisis created, the European Commission extended the validity period of CPM without testing, on an exceptional basis, for the period March 2020 – December 2021.

In view of the general developments, the European Commission has decided to further extend the validity period without testing until the 31st of March 2022.

18 MARCH 2024
Consolidated list of coin processing machines
English
(124.27 KB - PDF)
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18 MARCH 2024
Full list of coin-processing machines successfully tested or declared to conform
English
(458.73 KB - PDF)
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Annual reports regarding euro coin counterfeiting and the activities of the ETSC

30 NOVEMBER 2023
The protection of euro coins in 2022
English
(7.11 MB - PDF)
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10 OCTOBER 2022
The protection of euro coins in 2021
English
(1.51 MB - PDF)
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20 DECEMBER 2021
The protection of euro coins in 2020
English
(1.42 MB - PDF)
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29 SEPTEMBER 2020
The protection of euro coins in 2019
English
(780.09 KB - PDF)
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29 OCTOBER 2019
The protection of euro coins in 2018
English
(1.06 MB - PDF)
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17 JULY 2018
The protection of euro coins in 2017
English
(1.03 MB - PDF)
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6 JUNE 2017
The protection of euro coins in 2016
English
(989.96 KB - PDF)
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17 JULY 2018
The protection of euro coins in 2015
English
(586.05 KB - PDF)
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10 FEBRUARY 2020
The protection of euro coins in 2014
English
(460.73 KB - PDF)
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10 FEBRUARY 2020
The protection of euro coins in 2013
English
(206.01 KB - PDF)
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10 FEBRUARY 2020
The protection of euro coins in 2012
English
(210.88 KB - PDF)
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10 FEBRUARY 2020
The protection of euro coins in 2011
English
(196.88 KB - PDF)
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4 MAY 2011
The protection of euro coins in 2010
English
(53.81 KB - PDF)
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27 APRIL 2010
The protection of euro coins in 2009
English
(82.03 KB - PDF)
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17 JUNE 2009
The protection of euro coins in 2008
English
(79.71 KB - PDF)
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11 JULY 2008
The protection of euro coins in 2007
English
(70.26 KB - PDF)
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31 MAY 2007
The protection of euro coins in 2006
English
(55.75 KB - PDF)
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28 MARCH 2006
The protection of euro coins in 2005
English
(193.39 KB - PDF)
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11 MARCH 2005
The protection of euro coins in 2004
English
(64.75 KB - PDF)
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15 APRIL 2004
The protection of euro coins in 2003
English
(57.46 KB - PDF)
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18 MARCH 2003
The protection of euro coins in 2002
English
(45.07 KB - PDF)
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Contact

Contact ETSC at ecfin-etscatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (ecfin-etsc[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)