The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo[1], supported by the European Union Office in Kosovo and together with the responsible institutions for the fight against counterfeit currency, have taken an important step to strengthen the country's capacity to prevent and fight against counterfeit currency. This effort is part of a project funded under the EU's TAIEX program.
The main objective of the project is to bring Kosovo's approach in line with European Union standards by strengthening the legal and institutional framework against counterfeiting; establishing the national anti-counterfeiting centers; developing a new monitoring system for counterfeit currency; and increasing cooperation with both national and international stakeholders.
With support from the Croatian National Bank experts engaged under the TAIEX program, this project was implemented successfully in the period from October 2024 to April 2025.
One of the major project deliverables was the development of the draft Law on Preventing and Combating Currency Counterfeiting in Kosovo, developed with the active participation of all key institutions in the system and outlining the roles and responsibilities across key sectors and institutions, which will be processed further in line with the legislative procedure.
The purpose structure will cover the establishment of several centers, such as the National Counterfeit Centre (NCC) at the Central Bank of Kosovo; the National Central Office (NCO) to operate within the Kosovo Police; the National Analysis Centre (NAC) within the Kosovo Forensic Agency; the Coin National Analysis Centre (CNAC) also within the Kosovo Forensic Agency; and a Counterfeit Monitoring System (CMS) – designed to support currency counterfeit cases through information reporting and tracking.
The project contributed significantly to building the capacity of the national authorities to detect, track, and prevent counterfeit currency more effectively. The above activities aim to improve the coordination and effectiveness of Kosovo's response to counterfeit currency, ensuring greater security and strengthening public confidence in the financial system.
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This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. ↑