{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-46/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-46/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2009/46",
  "legislation_title": "Council Regulation (EC) No 46/2009 of 18 December 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 concerning medals and tokens similar to euro coins",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-46",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Regulation (EC) No 46/2009\nof 18 December 2008\namending Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 concerning medals and tokens similar to euro coins\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the third sentence of Article 123(4) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the Commission,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nCouncil Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 prohibits those medals and tokens similar to euro coins. Experience gained implementing the prohibition of medals and tokens similar to euro coins has highlighted the need to clarify the protective provisions and to make the decision-making process more transparent.\n(2)\nThe public may be led to believe that some medals and tokens have legal tender status, not only when they bear a design similar to euro coins but also when they bear certain elements of the designs on euro coins. Therefore specific elements of the designs on legal tender euro coins should not be reproduced in the way they are depicted on euro coins. In addition, symbols that are representative of the issuing Member State’s sovereignty should not be reproduced on medals and tokens in the way they are depicted on euro coins.\n(3)\nThe Commission, after having consulted the counterfeit coin experts referred to in Commission Decision 2005/37/EC of 29 October 2004 establishing the European Technical and Scientific Centre (ETSC) and providing for coordination of technical actions to protect euro coins against counterfeiting, should specify whether the protective provisions referred to in Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 have been respected and whether a metallic object is a medal/token.\n(4)\nThe specific criteria that are employed by the Commission in declaring conformity with the protective provisions should be clarified and laid down.\n(5)\nThe risk of mistaking a medal or a token bearing the terms ‘euro’, ‘euro cent’ or the euro symbol for a legal tender coin is greater where a nominal value is also associated with that medal or token. Therefore, in such cases, the indication ‘Not legal tender’ should be stamped on the obverse or the reverse of the medal or token concerned.\n(6)\nRegulation (EC) No 2182/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ C 283, 7.11.2008, p. 1."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "OJ L 373, 21.12.2004, p. 1."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "OJ L 19, 21.1.2005, p. 73."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2009/46/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:51:41.722183+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}