billet

Recycling (recirculation) of euro cash

The Council Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 of 28 June 2001 laying down measures necessary for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2009 of 18 December 2008, provides that credit institutions and other professional cash handlers may put euro banknotes and coins back into circulation provided that the banknotes and coins have been checked for authenticity and/or fitness in order to withdraw from circulation counterfeit or suspected counterfeit euro banknotes and coins, as well as euro banknotes and coins unfit for recirculation.

For euro banknotes, the Decision of the European Central Bank of 16 September 2010 on the authenticity and fitness checking and recirculation of euro banknotes (ECB/2010/14) sets out the procedures to be followed by cash handlers when checking euro banknotes for authenticity and fitness.

For euro coins, Regulation (EC) 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 sets out the procedures to be followed by cash handlers when checking the authenticity of euro coins. The ETSC guidance adopted by the European Commission's European Technical and Scientific Centre on coins is also part of this framework.

The Law of 21 July 2021[1] on counterfeiting and recycling (recirculation) of euro banknotes and coins, which entered into force on 30 July 2021, transposed these European legislation into Luxembourg national law and entrusted the Banque centrale du Luxembourg with the tasks of monitoring compliance with the legal framework applicable to the recycling of euro banknotes and coins, as well as with the powers of investigation, inspection, machine testing, injunction and penalty payment.

Further details on the national implementation of the above-mentioned legislation are set out in the Banque centrale du Luxembourg Regulation 2021/No. 31 of 7 December 2021 on controls to ensure compliance with the provisions applicable to the recirculation of euro cash.

Credit institutions and professional cash handlers wishing to recirculate euro banknotes and/or coins by using euro banknote and coin processing equipment must inform the Banque centrale du Luxembourg in advance by letter sent to the address below.

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[1] Mémorial A n°563 de 2021

CONTACTS

Telephone: 

(+352) 4774 - 4323
(+352) 4774 – 4658

Email:   cash-recirculation@bcl.lu
Postal address:

Banque centrale du Luxembourg
Département Caisse et numismatique
Section contrôle de la circulation fiduciaire
2, Boulevard Royal
L-2983 Luxembourg

 

Links and useful documents (FR only)

Brochure explicative de la BCL

Bordereaux de dépôts :

Décision de la Banque centrale européenne relative à la vérification de l’authenticité et de la qualité ainsi qu’à la remise en circulation des billets en euros:
    • Loi du 21 juillet 2021 concernant le faux-monnayage et le recyclage (recirculation) des billets et pièces en euros :

Orientation du Centre Technique et Scientifique Européen (CTSE): 

Information sur les machines agréées :

Formations:

  • Billets en euros (FR, EN, DE)
  • Pièces en euros (FR, EN, DE)
  • E-learning on euro banknotes and coins and their security features (Banco de Portugal)

Formulaires sur les données et statistiques à déclarer:

  1. Reporting des données de référence (billets et pièces)
  2. Reporting des données opérationnelles sur les billets
  3. Reporting des données opérationnelles sur les pièces
  4. Notification préalable conformément à l'art. 5 du règlement BCL 2021_N°31