Controls by Member States

1. Member States shall put in place the controls provided for in this Article.

2. Member States shall perform annual on-the-spot controls in institutions with a view to verifying, through detection tests, the proper functioning of a representative number of coin-processing machines used. Where personnel of the institutions is expected to check manually the authenticity of euro coins to be put back into circulation, Member States shall obtain an assurance from the institutions that their personnel are duly trained for that purpose.

3. The number of coin-processing machines to be checked annually in each Member State shall be such that the volume of euro coins processed by those machines during that year represents at least 25 % of the total cumulated net volume of coins issued by that Member State from the introduction of euro coins until the end of the previous year. The number of coin-processing machines to be checked shall be calculated on the basis of the volume of the three highest denominations of euro coins intended for circulation. Member States shall endeavour to ensure that coin-processing machines are checked on a rotating basis.

4. In the event that the number of coin-processing machines to be checked annually in accordance with paragraph 3 is higher than the number of machines operating in a particular Member State, all the coin-processing machines operating in that Member State shall be checked annually.

5. For a transitional period until 31 December 2014, Member States may decide, after notifying the Commission, that the number of coin-processing machines to be checked annually shall be such that the volume of euro coins processed by those machines during that year represents at least 10 % of the total cumulated net volume of coins issued by that Member State from the introduction of the euro coins until the end of the previous year.

6. As part of the annual controls, Member States shall monitor the capacity of institutions to authenticate euro coins on the basis of:

the existence of a written policy providing instructions relating either to the use of automatic coin-processing equipment or to manual sorting, as appropriate;

the allocation of appropriate human resources;

the existence of a written maintenance plan intended to keep coin-processing machines at their appropriate performance level;

the existence of written procedures for submitting counterfeit euro coins, euro coins unfit for circulation and other coin-like objects that do not comply with the specifications of genuine euro coins to the designated national authority; and

the existence of internal control procedures describing the modalities and the frequency of the controls to be carried out by institutions to ensure that their sorting centres and their personnel follow the instructions set out in this paragraph.

7. Where a Member State detects non-compliance with this Regulation, the institution concerned shall take the measures to ensure that the non-compliance is rectified promptly.

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