Exceptions
Article 7
1. NCBs may grant remote branches of credit institutions with a low level of cash operations permission for trained staff members to carry out manual fitness checking of euro banknotes to be recirculated via customer-operated machines or cash dispensers, provided that authenticity checking is carried out by a type of banknote handling machine successfully tested by an NCB. To apply for this permission, credit institutions shall provide the NCB of their Member State with evidence of the remoteness of the branch in question and the low level of its cash operations. Each NCB shall ensure that the volume of euro banknotes manually checked in this manner does not exceed a maximum of 5 % of the overall volume of euro banknotes which are distributed annually via customer-operated machines or cash dispensers. NCBs shall decide whether the 5 % threshold shall apply at the level of each credit institution or at that of all credit institutions at national level. 2. Where an exceptional event occurs as a result of which the euro banknote supply in a Member State is significantly impaired, cash handlers’ trained staff members may, on a temporary basis, and subject to the relevant NCB’s agreement that the event is exceptional, carry out manual authenticity and fitness checking of euro banknotes to be recirculated via customer-operated machines or cash dispensers.