Article 2 Definitions

Within the meaning of this Regulation:

1. (a)

   ‘counterfeit notes’ and ‘counterfeit coins’ shall mean notes and coins denominated in euro or which have the appearance of euro notes or coins and which have been fraudulently made or altered;

2. (b)

   ‘competent national authorities’ shall mean the authorities designated by the Member States for:

   • identifying counterfeit notes and coins;

   • gathering and analysing technical and statistical data relating to counterfeit notes, in particular national central banks or other empowered bodies;

   • gathering and analysing technical and statistical data relating to counterfeit coins, in particular national mints, national central banks or other empowered bodies;

   • gathering data relating to counterfeiting of the euro and submitting them to analysis, in particular the national central offices referred to in Article 12 of the Geneva Convention;

3. (c)

   ‘F1credit institutions’ shall mean the credit institutions referred to in Article 4(1)(a) of Directive 2006/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 relating to the taking up and pursuit of the business of credit institutions ^f1 ;

4. (d)

   ‘technical and statistical data’ shall mean data by means of which counterfeit notes or counterfeit coins may be identified (technical description of type of counterfeit) and data on the number of counterfeit notes and counterfeit coins by their origin, in particular geographical;

5. (e)

   ‘Geneva Convention’ shall mean the International Convention for the Suppression of Counterfeiting Currency, signed at Geneva on 20 April 1929^f2;

6. (f)

   ‘Europol Convention’ shall mean the Convention of 26 July 1995 on the establishment of Europol^f3 ;

7. (g)

   ‘F2payment service providers’ shall mean the payment service providers referred to in Article 1(1) of Directive 2007/64/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2007 on payment services in the internal market ^f4 .