17/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - In 2004, some 594,000 false euro notes were withdrawn from circulation in and outside the eurozone. 287,000 false euro banknotes were detected in the second half of 2004, and 307,000 in the first half of the year, making the total for the year 8% higher than in 2003, although the European Central Bank notes that there is an overall downward trend. The ECB says the figures have to be set in context - there are some 9 million genuine euro banknotes in circulation. It is mainly the 50 euro note that is forged (48% of total forged notes) followed by the 20 euro note (24%) and the 100 euro note (17%).