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1. In agreement with the European Central Bank, Member States shall designate or establish a National Analysis Centre (NAC) in accordance with their national law and practice.

2. The competent national authorities shall permit the examination by the NAC of suspected counterfeit notes and shall without delay provide it with the necessary examples requested by the NAC of each type of suspected counterfeit note for analysis and identification and such technical and statistical data as are in their possession. The NAC shall send the European Central Bank every new type of suspected counterfeit note corresponding to the criteria adopted by the European Central Bank. For the purpose of facilitating the checking for authenticity of circulating euro notes, the transporting of counterfeit notes between the competent national authorities as well as the institutions and bodies of the European Union shall be permitted. During transportation, the counterfeit notes shall be accompanied at all times by transport orders received for that purpose from the abovementioned authorities, institutions and bodies. ◄

3. Paragraph 2 shall be applied in such a way that it does not prevent suspected counterfeit notes from being used or retained as evidence in criminal proceedings. The competent national authorities may however transmit to the NAC, and, where appropriate, to the ECB, part of a batch of these notes for examination or testing. ◄ 4. The European Central Bank shall communicate the relevant final results of its analysis and classification of every new type of counterfeit note to the competent national authorities and, according to its areas of responsibility, to the Commission. The European Central Bank shall communicate the results to Europol, in accordance with the agreement referred to in Article 3(3).