Article 128(1) of the Treaty and Article 16 of the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank provide that the European Central Bank (ECB) has the exclusive right to authorise the issue of euro banknotes within the Union. This right includes the competence to take measures to protect the integrity of euro banknotes as a means of payment and in doing so to also have the possibility to amend the scope of such competence from time to time so that the means available for ensuring the intergrity of euro banknotes remain appropriate.

In order to ensure the integrity of euro banknotes, accredited manufacturers are therefore subject to continuing obligations in Decision ECB/2013/54

Decision ECB/2013/54 of 20 December 2013 on the accreditation procedures for manufacturers of euro secure items and euro items and amending Decision ECB/2008/3 (OJ L 57, 27.2.2014, p. 29).

Measures that might affect an accredited manufacturer's accreditation status, including the transfer or assignment of an existing accreditation, should be allowed where the ECB has given its prior written consent to such a measure. The obligation to inform the ECB about changes of ownership structure should be limited to cases where such a change of ownership structure may directly or indirectly enable an entity involved in the intended change of ownership structure to gain access to confidential information.

In addition, the Executive Board should be put in a position to implement economic sanctions in the field of Common Foreign and Security Policy and to take into consideration sanctions imposed under international agreements. Likewise other relevant instruments may be taken into account such as UN Security Council resolutions.

Therefore Decision ECB/2013/54 should be amended accordingly,