Business continuity in the cash industry

The Banque de France has the exclusive right to issue legal tender banknotes in France. Supplying banknotes and coins to the public, including in times of crisis, is therefore entirely the responsibility of the Bank, even though it does not control the entire cash industry.
Thus, the Banque de France ensures the continuity of its internal cash activity and develops, with other professionals in the cash industry, structures and tools to steer and manage a cash crisis.

In 2008, an interprofessional group known as the Groupe Plénier Robustesse Fiduciaire (GPRF) was set up. It is chaired by the Banque de France - the Director of Cash Management -, and brings together the major players in the cash industry: representatives of CIT companies and their federation (FEDESFI), representatives of credit institutions and the Fédération bancaire française (FBF), representatives of trade federations (MERCATEL and FCD). This group also includes representatives of public authorities (Ministry of the Economy and Finance and Ministry of the Interior) and representatives of the IEDOM.

The Groupe Plénier Robustesse Fiduciaire has:

• studied the characteristics and the strengths and weaknesses of the French cash industry;
• examined the crisis scenarios that could affect the cash industry;
• made recommendations to improve the robustness of the cash industry on the one hand, and to plan bypass measures and manage a crisis affecting the cash industry in a coordinated manner.

The report of the group's work was released in March 2009.

The missions of the GPRF were extended to:

• carrying out studies (preparation of procedures sheets to be followed in emergency situations, according to the eight scenarios referenced by the Groupe de Place Robustesse and scenarios specific to the cash industry; study of foreign experiences and identification of good practices; analysis of feedbacks when crises occur);
• organising crisis management structures and procedures;
• defining the organisation and the terms of the communication.

The GPRF has devised a cash crisis management scheme, which is intended to be applicable in any situation. The objective is to ensure the coherence and good articulation of the different Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) and the coordination of the various crisis units.

In June 2009, a cash industry crisis unit (Cellule de Crise de Place pour le Fiduciaire -CCP-F) was set up, with the following tasks:

• setting up and maintaining crisis management structures;
• keeping watch, alerting and communicating;
• steering crises at the national level, taking the decision to implement the actions to be taken at the local level and coordinating them;
• reporting information to the Pôle de Coordination Robustesse Financière.

The members of the CCP-F are representatives of the same entities as those present in the GPRF, with the exception of the Ministry of the Interior, which would be called upon in the event of a cash crisis only as a last resort.
The local monitoring of the crisis is carried out at the departmental level. The departmental director of the Banque de France:

• collects information to inform the CCP-F and the public authorities (Prefect),
• organises the consultation of the various players,
• implements at the local level the actions decided by the national crisis management bodies.