Decision of the European Central Bank of 25 November 2010 on the quality accreditation procedure for manufacturers of euro banknotes (ECB/2010/22) (2010/773/EU) (repealed)

SECTION I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1 Definitions

For the purposes of this Decision:

(a)

‘quality accreditation’ means the status, the scope of which is set out in Articles 3 and 4, granted by the ECB to a manufacturer confirming that it is in conformity with the quality requirements;

(b)

‘euro banknote production activity’ means the production of euro banknotes or of any euro banknote raw materials;

(c)

‘manufacturer’ means any entity that is, or wishes to be, involved in a euro banknote production activity;

(d)

‘manufacturing site’ means any premises that a manufacturer uses, or wishes to use, for a euro banknote production activity;

(e)

‘quality requirements’ means the substantive rules to be conformed with by a manufacturer seeking quality accreditation, as separately laid down by the ECB;

(f)

‘quality arrangements’ means the measures taken by a manufacturer at a manufacturing site to conform with the quality requirements;

(g)

‘certification authority’ means an independent certification authority which evaluates manufacturers’ quality management systems and is entitled to certify that a manufacturer fulfils the requirements of the ISO 9001 series of standards;

(h)

‘euro banknote raw materials’ means paper, ink, foil and thread used to produce euro banknotes;

(i)

‘euro secure items’ and ‘euro secure activity’ have the meaning given to them in Decision ECB/2008/3 of 15 May 2008 on security accreditation procedures for manufacturers of euro secure items for euro banknotes(1);

(j)

‘ECB working day’ means a day from Monday to Friday, excluding ECB public holidays;

(k)

‘NCB’ means the national central bank of a Member State whose currency is the euro;

(l)

‘pre-audit questionnaire’ means a form used by the quality audit team to collect information from a manufacturer on the specificities of a manufacturing site and on any changes that have been made to the quality arrangements since the last quality audit.

Article 2 General principles

1. A manufacturer shall apply for and receive quality accreditation from the ECB before starting or continuing its euro banknote production activity.

2. An accredited manufacturer may only carry out a euro banknote production activity at the manufacturing sites for which it has been granted quality accreditation under this Decision.

3. The ECB requirements for quality accreditation shall be minimum requirements. Manufacturers may adopt and implement stricter quality standards, which shall be laid down in their quality plan, as defined in the quality requirements.

4. The Executive Board shall be competent to take all decisions relating to a manufacturer’s quality accreditation, taking into account the views of the Banknote Committee, and shall inform the Governing Council thereof.

5. Any costs and associated losses that a manufacturer incurs in connection with the application of this Decision shall be borne by the manufacturer.

6. The provisions of this Decision are without prejudice to any full or temporary quality accreditation granted before the entry into force of this Decision.

Article 3 Full quality accreditation

1. A manufacturer may only carry out a euro banknote production activity if the ECB grants it full quality accreditation for that activity.

2. A manufacturer may be granted full quality accreditation for a euro banknote production activity provided that it fulfils all of the following conditions:

(a) it has been involved in a euro banknote production activity in the 24 months preceding the request for full quality accreditation or has been granted temporary quality accreditation as laid down in Article 4 and has started a euro banknote production activity in accordance with Article 10(3);

(b) it conforms with the quality management series of standards ISO 9001 at a particular manufacturing site for a particular euro banknote production activity and a certification authority has issued a certificate to that effect;

(c) it conforms with the quality requirements at the abovementioned manufacturing site for the abovementioned euro banknote production activity;

(d) if it produces euro secure items, it has full security accreditation at the abovementioned manufacturing site for the abovementioned euro secure activity pursuant to Decision ECB/2008/3;

(e) if it is a printing works, its manufacturing site is located in a Member State; and

(f) if it is not a printing works, its manufacturing site is located in a Member State or in a European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Member State.

3. The Executive Board may grant exemptions to the location requirement set out in points (e) and (f) on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the views of the Banknote Committee. Any such decision shall be promptly notified to the Governing Council. The Executive Board shall abide by any decision of the Governing Council on this issue.

4. Full quality accreditation shall be granted to a manufacturer for 24 months, subject to a decision taken pursuant to Articles 15, 16 or 17. Full quality accreditation may be renewed every 24 months.

5. The ECB’s prior written consent shall be required for an accredited manufacturer to outsource the production of euro banknotes or euro banknote raw materials to another manufacturing site or to any third party, including the manufacturer’s subsidiaries and associated companies.

Article 4 Temporary quality accreditation

1. If a manufacturer has not been involved in a euro banknote production activity in the 24 months preceding the request for full quality accreditation as described in Article 3(2)(a), it may be granted temporary quality accreditation for a planned euro banknote production activity.

2. A manufacturer may be granted temporary quality accreditation for a planned euro banknote production activity provided that it fulfils all of the following conditions:

(a) it conforms with the quality management series of standards ISO 9001 at a particular manufacturing site for a planned euro banknote production activity and a certification authority has issued a certificate to that effect;

(b) it has established the procedures and the infrastructure necessary to conform with the quality requirements at the abovementioned manufacturing site for the abovementioned euro banknote production activity;

(c) if it plans to produce a euro secure item, it has been granted security accreditation at the abovementioned manufacturing site for a planned euro secure activity pursuant to Decision ECB/2008/3;

(d) if it is a printing works, its manufacturing site is located in a Member State; and

(e) if it is not a printing works, its manufacturing site is located in a Member State or in an EFTA Member State.

3. Temporary quality accreditation shall be granted to a manufacturer for one year, subject to a decision taken pursuant to Articles 15, 16 or 17. If the manufacturer tenders for or is commissioned to carry out a euro banknote production activity within this period, its temporary quality accreditation may be extended as necessary until the ECB has taken a decision on whether to grant it full quality accreditation.

(1)

OJ L 140, 30.5.2008, p. 26.