Banknotes and coins

Standards for recirculation

The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) approved in September 2010 Decision ECB/2010/14, subsequently amended by Decision ECB/2012/19, on checking the authenticity and fitness of euro banknotes and their recirculation.

The main objective of this Decision is to ensure the integrity and conservation of euro banknotes in circulation and maintain the trust that citizens place in them.

To achieve this objective, credit entities and other professional cash handlers only give their customers euro banknotes when they consider that their authenticity and fitness for circulation has been checked. In the case of banknotes put into circulation through ATMs or customer-operated devices, they must also have been selected by approved equipment to guarantee the authenticity and good conditions of the banknotes.