European Commission strengthens the protection of the euro by means of criminal law

EU news 52/2013

5 February 2013
IP/13/88
Strasbourg

The European Commission has today proposed to crack down on criminals who counterfeit euro notes and coins. Counterfeiting of the euro is estimated to have cost at least €500 million since the currency was introduced in 2002. The proposal aims to strengthen the protection of the euro and other currencies against counterfeiting through criminal law measures. These include strengthening cross-border investigations and introducing minimum penalties, including imprisonment, for the most serious counterfeiting offences. The proposal will also enable the analysis of seized forgeries during judicial proceedings in order to detect further counterfeit euros in circulation.

Source and additional information: 
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-88_en.htm?locale=en

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