Cash recycling

Cash recycling is defined as a range of activities related to banknote and coin sorting and authentication and quality checks carried out by credit institutions and other professional cash handlers, with a view to maintaining in circulation banknotes and coins received from the economy, thus waiving their treatment by the central bank.

Banknote and coin recycling activity was first regulated by Regulation 1338/2001 of the Council of 28 June 2001, laying down measures necessary for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting, amended by the Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2009 of 18 December 2008.