Banknotes

1. Identification and Handling of Suspected Counterfeit Euro Banknotes

Cash handlers are required to withdraw from circulation and submit to the Central Bank any banknotes classified as non-authentic. This classification can result from automatic checks as per Annexes IIa and IIb of Law No. 101 of July 29, 2013, or from manual checks performed by trained personnel in accordance with Annex III of the same law.
In such cases, cash handlers must follow this procedure:
(a) unconditionally retain the suspected counterfeit banknotes;
(b) prepare the BS report, in triplicate, as outlined in Annex 2 of Regulation 2013-04;
(c) send the BS report and a photocopy of the withdrawn banknote to the Central Bank and the Central Counterfeit Money Office by email, no later than the second working day after the detection of the suspected counterfeit banknote;
(d) provide a copy of the BS report to the customer-exhibitor, unless the banknote was found in the absence of the customer-exhibitor;
(e) retain a copy of the BS report along with a photocopy of the withdrawn banknote;
(f) deliver a copy of the BS report, along with the withdrawn banknote, to the Central Bank either by hand or by registered mail no later than the fifth working day following receipt of the banknote.

Only banks are authorized to fulfill the requirements of point (f) by transmitting the report and banknote through the Domestic Recipient Exchange service.

2. Instructions for Completing the Report for Suspected Counterfeit Banknotes

Cash handlers should complete fields 1 to 26 of the BS report according to the following instructions:
1) provide a unique, progressive alphanumeric number or identifier;
2) specify the date of the report (day, month, year);
3) indicate the name of the cash handler preparing the report, along with the full address of the branch/agency/office (if applicable), and include the telephone and fax numbers; 4 and 5) Provide the ABI and CAB codes, if available;
6) indicate the economic operator code (E.O.C.);
7) specify the date the banknote was identified (day, month, year);
8) indicate the denomination of the banknotes withdrawn;
9) state the series of the withdrawn banknotes (the letter "A" represents the first series issued in 2002; subsequent series are indicated by the letter "B");
10) specify the alphanumeric combination – the second column (2nd combination) should be filled in only if there are two different alphanumeric combinations on the same withdrawn banknote;
11) indicate the "plate number," which is the 6-character alphanumeric code (one letter, three digits, one letter, and one digit) found on the "recto" (front) of the banknote, at a predetermined position for each denomination;
12) at this point, always enter "1" for each completed line, except when multiple banknotes of the same denomination and series, all having the same alphanumeric combination (or the same combinations, if the two are different), and the same plate number are involved;
13) indicate the total sum of the "number of pieces" column;
14) specify the number of additional forms if the four preprinted lines in Section B) are insufficient. These attachments should reference protocol 1) from the BS report and be considered an integral part of it;
15) mark an "X" in the "In the presence of the exhibitor" box if the withdrawal occurred directly in the presence of the exhibitor. If the banknotes were found in a device accessible to customers, mark the "In the absence of the exhibitor" box. In "Other useful information," provide details on how the banknote was found or presented (e.g., spontaneous delivery by the exhibitor requesting verification of authenticity or counterfeiting);

16, 17, 18 and 19) provide the identification details of the exhibitor, either from an identity document or based on oral information (self-styled), marking an "X" in the corresponding box for each piece of information;
20) indicate the address at which the exhibitor can be reached, even if it differs from their registered residence;
21) provide the phone number through which the exhibitor can be contacted;
22) indicate how the exhibitor came into possession of the banknotes;
23 and 24) provide the full name of the operator who retrieved the banknote;
25) affix the stamp of the obligor and the signature of the reporting operator;
26) if applicable, have the full signature of the exhibitor of the withdrawn banknote.

3. Identification and handling of euro banknotes unfit for circulation

Cash handlers must withdraw from circulation and send to the Central Bank, for replacement or redemption, any banknotes classified as unfit due to checks conducted automatically in accordance with Annexes IIa and IIb of Law No. 101 of July 29, 2013, or as a result of manual checks carried out by trained personnel in accordance with Annex III of the same law.
In such cases, cash handlers should follow this procedure:
(a) unconditionally retain the unfit banknotes;
(b) submit the withdrawn banknotes to the Central Bank, in compliance with the provisions of Article 10 of the aforementioned law, and indemnify the Central Bank for any banknotes that, following checks by the Central Bank, may be found to be suspected of counterfeiting.