1999/96/EC: Council Decision of 31 December 1998 on the position to be taken by the Community regarding an agreement concerning the monetary relations with the Principality of Monaco

• Articles: 10

Article 1

France shall notify the Principality of Monaco of the need to amend the existing arrangements between France and the Principality of Monaco at the earliest possible date as far as monetary matters are concerned and offer negotiations for a new agreement.

Article 2

The position to be taken by the Community in the negotiations with the Principality of Monaco for an agreement concerning matters referred to below shall be based on the principles laid down in Articles 3 to 6.

Article 3

1. The Principality of Monaco shall be entitled to use the euro as its official currency.

2. The Principality of Monaco shall be entitled to grant legal tender status to euro banknotes and coins.

Article 4

The Principality of Monaco shall undertake not to issue any banknotes, coins or monetary surrogates of any kind unless the conditions for such issuance have been agreed with the Community.

Article 5

1. The Principality of Monaco shall undertake to make Community rules on euro banknotes and coins applicable in the Principality of Monaco.

2. The Principality of Monaco shall undertake to cooperate closely with the Community with regard to measures against counterfeiting of euro banknotes and coins.

Article 6

Financial institutions located in the Principality of Monaco may have access to the payment systems within the euro area under appropriate conditions to be determined with the agreement of the ECB.

They may be subject to minimum reserve and statistical reporting obligations of the ECB.

Article 7

France shall conduct the negotiations with the Principality of Monaco on the matters referred to in Articles 3 to 6 on behalf of the Community. The Commission shall be fully associated with the negotiations. The ECB shall be fully associated with the negotiations in its field of competence. France shall submit the draft agreement to the Economic and Financial Committee for opinion.

Article 8

France shall be entitled to conclude the agreement on behalf of the Community unless the Commission or the ECB or the Economic and Financial Committee are of the opinion that the agreement should be submitted to the Council.

Article 9

France shall review its existing arrangements with the Principality of Monaco in order to make them compatible with the agreement between the Community and the Principality of Monaco concerning their monetary relations.

Article 10

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.

Done at Brussels, 31 December 1998.

For the Council

The President

R. EDLINGER

(1) OJ L 139, 11. 5. 1998, p. 1.

(2) Ordonnance monégasque fixant le cours légal et le cours forcé des monnaies et billets du 2 janvier 1925; Convention franco-monégasque relative au contrôle des changes, 14 avril 1945; Echange de lettres entre la France et Monaco du 18 mai 1963 relatif à la réglementation bancaire dans la Principauté, as amended by the Echange de lettres du 27 novembre 1987.