The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo and the European Central Bank sign Cooperation Agreement to protect the integrity of Euro banknotes in Kosovo

The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK) and the European Central Bank (ECB) have signed a Cooperation Agreement in the field of fighting counterfeit of Euro banknote, further strengthening institutional commitment to safeguarding the integrity of euro cash in circulation, and ensuring the country’s financial stability. The agreement has been signed by the CBK Governor, Mr. Ismaili and ECB President, Ms. Lagarde.

This Agreement marks an important milestone in aligning with EU standards and best practices in combating counterfeit currency and establishes the basis for structured technical cooperation, including the exchange of information through the ECB’s Counterfeit Monitoring System (CMS), which supports the identification and analysis of the detected counterfeit euro banknotes.

Through this Agreement, the CBK will gain access to ECB operational mechanisms designed to prevent and combat euro banknotes counterfeiting and will be integrated into the professional cooperation network with Eurosystem central banks and non-euro area partner, including countries in the Western Balkans region.

This collaboration is the result of an inter-institutional effort in the Republic of Kosovo led by CBK, in coordination with international partners, particularly the European Union Office in Kosovo, to build a sustainable and comprehensive anti-counterfeiting framework.

The Agreement reinforces the objectives outlined in the legislation prepared on fighting counterfeit currency, developed with the support of the Croatian National Bank and relevant domestic institutions within the framework of the EU TAIEX project, which foresees initiatives for the establishment of National Anti-Counterfeit Center and a National Counterfeit Monitoring System in Kosovo, in line with the CBK Strategic Plan.

The CBK extends its special gratitude to the team of experts who worked on this project, with particular appreciation to the European Central Bank, which, through this cooperation agreement, has paved the way for advancing our institutional, technical, and operational capacities, in a joint effort to combat a phenomenon that requires continuous commitment and a systematic approach.

The CBK reaffirms its commitment to strengthening internal capacities, modernizing and automating cash processing in line with Eurosystem standards, raising public awareness, and advancing further toward full integration into the common practices of the European Union.