(1)

Commission Decision (EU) 2015/512 (1) provides that the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (‘the Directorate-General’) is responsible for the tasks related to the preparation of legislative and regulatory initiatives of the Commission with the objective of the protection of the euro against counterfeiting, and of support in that area through training and technical assistance. With a view to coordinate the necessary actions to protect the euro coins against counterfeiting the Commission needs to call upon the expertise of specialists in an advisory body (2).

(2)

It is therefore necessary to set up a group of experts in the field of the protection of euro coins against counterfeiting and to define its tasks and its structure.

(3)

The group should assist the Commission in the preparation of legislation or in policy definition and to provide expertise when preparing implementing measures with regard to the protection of euro coins against counterfeiting. The group should also establish cooperation between the public authorities involved in the protection of the euro against counterfeiting.

(4)

The group should be composed of experts of Member States' authorities, the European Central Bank (‘ECB’) and of Europol.

(5)

Rules on disclosure of information by members of the group should be laid down.

(6)

Personal data should be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 (3) of the European Parliament and of the Council. It is appropriate to fix a period for the application of this Decision. The Commission will in due time consider the advisability of an extension,

(a)

to assist the Commission in the preparation of legislative proposals or delegated acts or policy initiatives for the protection of euro coins against counterfeiting;

(b)

to establish cooperation between the Heads of the Coin National Analysis Centres (‘CNACs’) established in accordance with Article 5(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1338/2001 (4), the Commission, the European Technical Scientific Centre (‘ETSC’) (5), the European Central Bank (‘ECB’) and Europol in matters relating to policy initiatives and actions aimed at an efficient anti-counterfeiting strategy;

(c)

to provide advice and expertise to the Commission for implementing Union legislation, programmes and policies, in particular with regards to Regulation (EU) No 1210/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6);

(d)

to exchange experience and establish good practices for the protection of euro coins against counterfeiting;

(e)

to raise awareness among the public authorities involved in the protection of the euro against counterfeiting for upcoming threats and to monitor implementation of effective repressive measures for an anti-counterfeiting policy strategy;

(f)

to promote training initiatives for the protection of the euro coins against counterfeiting;

(g)

to promote and develop studies or technical support in facilitating counterfeiting detection activities;

(h)

to discuss issues relating to the technical specifications of counterfeit euro coins and the security features for the protection of euro coins against counterfeiting.