RECOMMENDATION ON EURO-DENOMINATED COLLECTORS' COINS AND QUALITY CONTROL.

The Finance Council on May 10 adopted a set of Conclusions banning the issue of Euro-denominated collectors' coins, medals and tokens until the end of 2001, in order to avoid any risk of confusion among consumers. The Council's Conclusions are based on a Recommendation adopted by the European Commission on January 13, prohibiting the issuing within the Community of all objects that might be a potential source of confusion or fraud during the transitional period for the introduction of the single currency (ending on December 31, 2001). This ban would apply explicitly to collectors' coins, medals and tokens struck by official mints and private issuing bodies.Ministers also adopted a system of quality control intended to guarantee the...