Euro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The euro (€) is the official currency of 16 of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU). The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The currency is also used in a further five European countries, with and without formal agreements and is consequently used daily by some 327 million Europeans.[2] Over 175 million people worldwide use currencies which are pegged to the euro, including more than 150 million people in Africa.
The euro is the second largest reserve currency and the second most traded currency in the world after the U.S. dollar.[3] As of November 2008[update], with more than €751 billion in circulation, the euro is the currency with the highest combined value of cash in circulation in the world, having surpassed the U.S. dollar.[4][5] Based on IMF estimates of 2008 GDP and purchasing power parity among the various currencies, the Eurozone is the second largest economy in the world.[6]
The name euro was officially adopted on 16 December 1995.[7] The euro was introduced to world financial markets as an accounting currency on 1 January 1999, replacing the former European Currency Unit (ECU) at a ratio of 1:1. Euro coins and banknotes entered circulation on 1 January 2002.
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[edit] Administration
The euro is managed and administered by the Frankfurt-based European Central Bank (ECB) and the Eurosystem (composed of the central banks of the Eurozone countries). As an independent central bank, the ECB has sole authority to set monetary policy. The Eurosystem participates in the printing, minting and distribution of notes and coins in all member states, and the operation of the Eurozone payment systems.
The 1992 Maastricht Treaty obliges most EU member states to adopt the euro upon meeting certain monetary and budgetary requirements, however, not all states have done so. The United Kingdom and Denmark negotiated exemptions,[8] while Sweden turned down the euro in a 2003 referendum, and has circumvented the obligation to adopt the euro by not meeting the monetary and budgetary requirements. All nations that have joined the EU since 1993 have pledged to adopt the euro in due course.
[edit] Characteristics
[edit] Coins and banknotes
The euro is divided into 100 cents (sometimes referred to as euro-cents, especially when distinguishing them from other currencies). In official contexts the plural forms of euro and cent are spelled without the s, notwithstanding normal English usage.[9] Otherwise, normal English plurals are recommended and used.[10] All circulating coins have a common side showing the denomination or value, and a map in the background. For the denominations except the 1-, 2- and 5-cent coins that map only showed the 15 member states which were members when the euro was introduced. Beginning in 2007 or 2008 (depending on the country) the old map is being replaced by a map of Europe also showing countries outside the Union like Norway. The 1-, 2- and 5-cent coins, however, keep their old design, showing a geographical map of Europe with the 15 member states of 2002 raised somewhat above the rest of the map. All common sides were designed by Luc Luycx. The coins also have a national side showing an image specifically chosen by the country that issued the coin. Euro coins from any member state may be freely used in any nation which has adopted the euro.
The coins are issued in €2, €1, 50-cent, 20-cent, 10-cent, 5-cent, 2-cent, and 1-cent denominations. In order to avoid the use of the two smallest coins, some cash transactions are rounded to the nearest five cents in the Netherlands (by voluntary agreement) and in Finland (by law).[11]
Commemorative coins with €2 face value have been issued with changes to the design of the national side of the coin. These include both commonly issued coins, such as the €2 commemorative coin for the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, and nationally issued coins, such as the coin to commemorate the 2004 Summer Olympics issued by Greece. These coins are legal tender throughout the Eurozone. Collector’s coins with various other denominations have been issued as well, but these are not intended for general circulation, and they are legal tender only in the member state that issued them.[12]
The design for the euro banknotes have common designs on both sides. The design was created by Robert Kalina.[13] Notes are issued in €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10, €5. Each banknote has its own colour and is dedicated to an artistic period of European architecture. The front of the note features windows or gateways while the back has bridges. While the designs are supposed to be devoid of any identifiable characteristics, the initial designs by Robert Kalina were of specific bridges, including the Rialto and the Pont de Neuilly, and were subsequently rendered more generic; the final designs still bear very close similarities to their specific prototypes; thus they are not truly generic.[14] Some of the highest denominations such as the €500 are not issued in all countries, though they remain legal tender throughout the Eurozone.
[edit] Payments clearing, electronic funds transfer
All intra-EU transfers in euro are considered as domestic payments and bear the corresponding domestic transfer costs.[15] This includes all member States of the EU, even those outside the Eurozone providing the transactions are carried out in euro.[16] Credit/debit card charging and ATM withdrawals within the Eurozone are also charged as domestic, however paper-based payment orders, like cheques, have not been standardised so these are still domestic-based. The ECB has also set up a clearing system, TARGET, for large euro transactions.[17]
[edit] Currency sign
A special euro currency sign (€) was designed after a public survey had narrowed the original ten proposals down to two. The European Commission then chose the design created by the Belgian Alain Billiet. The official story of the design history of the euro sign is disputed by Arthur Eisenmenger, a former chief graphic designer for the EEC, who claims to have created it as a generic symbol of Europe.[18]
| “ | Inspiration for the € symbol itself came from the Greek epsilon (Є) – a reference to the cradle of European civilisation – and the first letter of the word Europe, crossed by two parallel lines to ‘certify’ the stability of the euro. | ” |
The European Commission also specified a euro logo with exact proportions and foreground/background colour tones.[20] While the Commission intended the logo to be a prescribed glyph shape, font designers made it clear that they intended to design their own variants instead.[21] Typewriters lacking the euro sign can create it by typing a capital 'C', backspacing and overstriking it with the equal ('=') sign. Placement of the currency sign relative to the numeric amount varies from nation to nation, and there is no official recommendation on the issue.[22]
[edit] Introduction of the euro
| Currency | Code | Rate | Fixed on | Yielded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Austrian schilling |
ATS | 13.7603 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Belgian franc |
BEF | 40.3399 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Dutch guilder |
NLG | 2.20371 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Finnish markka |
FIM | 5.94573 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 French franc |
FRF | 6.55957 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 German mark |
DEM | 1.95583 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Irish pound |
IEP | 0.787564 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Italian lira |
ITL | 1,936.27 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Luxembourgian franc |
LUF | 40.3399 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Portuguese escudo |
PTE | 200.482 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Spanish peseta |
ESP | 166.386 | 31 December 1998 | 2002 |
 Greek drachma |
GRD | 340.750[23] | 19 June 2000 | 2002 |
 Slovenian tolar |
SIT | 239.640[24] | 11 July 2006 | 2007 |
 Cypriot pound |
CYP | 0.585274[25] | 10 July 2007 | 2008 |
 Maltese lira |
MTL | 0.429300[26] | 10 July 2007 | 2008 |
 Slovak koruna |
SKK | 30.1260[27] | 8 July 2008 | 2009 |
The euro was established by the provisions in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty. In order to participate in the currency, member states are meant to meet strict criteria such as a budget deficit of less than three per cent of their GDP, a debt ratio of less than sixty per cent of GDP, low inflation, and interest rates close to the EU average. In the Maastricht Treaty, the United Kingdom and Denmark were granted exemptions per their request from moving to the stage of monetary union which would result in the introduction of the euro.
Economists who helped create or contributed to the euro include Robert Mundell, Wim Duisenberg, Robert Tollison, Neil Dowling, Fred Arditti and Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa. (For macro-economic theory, see below.) The name euro was devised on 4 August 1995 by Germain Pirlot, a Belgian esperantist and ex-teacher of French and history,[28] and officially adopted in Madrid on 16 December 1995.[7]
Due to differences in national conventions for rounding and significant digits, all conversion between the national currencies had to be carried out using the process of triangulation via the euro. The definitive values in euro of these subdivisions (which represent the exchange rates at which the currency entered the euro) are shown at right.
The rates were determined by the Council of the European Union,[29] based on a recommendation from the European Commission based on the market rates on 31 December 1998. They were set so that one European Currency Unit (ECU) would equal one euro. The European Currency Unit was an accounting unit used by the EU, based on the currencies of the member states; it was not a currency in its own right. They could not be set earlier, because the ECU depended on the closing exchange rate of the non-euro currencies (principally the pound sterling) that day.
The procedure used to fix the irrevocable conversion rate between the drachma and the euro was different, since the euro by then was already two years old. While the conversion rates for the initial eleven currencies were determined only hours before the euro was introduced, the conversion rate for the Greek drachma was fixed several months beforehand.[30]
The currency was introduced in non-physical form (travellers' cheques, electronic transfers, banking, etc.) at midnight on 1 January 1999, when the national currencies of participating countries (the Eurozone) ceased to exist independently. Their exchange rates were locked at fixed rates against each other, effectively making them mere non-decimal subdivisions of the euro. The euro thus became the successor to the European Currency Unit (ECU). The notes and coins for the old currencies, however, continued to be used as legal tender until new euro notes and coins were introduced on 1 January 2002.
The changeover period during which the former currencies' notes and coins were exchanged for those of the euro lasted about two months, until 28 February 2002. The official date on which the national currencies ceased to be legal tender varied from member state to member state. The earliest date was in Germany where the mark officially ceased to be legal tender on 31 December 2001, though the exchange period lasted for two months more. Even after the old currencies ceased to be legal tender, they continued to be accepted by national central banks for periods ranging from several years to forever (the latter in Austria, Germany, Ireland, and Spain). The earliest coins to become non-convertible were the Portuguese escudos, which ceased to have monetary value after 31 December 2002, although banknotes remain exchangeable until 2022.
[edit] Direct and indirect usage
[edit] Direct usage
The euro is the sole currency of 16 EU member states: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. These countries comprise the "Eurozone" or "Euro Area", some 326 million people in total.
With all but two of the remaining EU members obliged to join, together with future members of the EU, the enlargement of the eurozone is set to continue further. Outside the EU, the euro is also the sole currency of two former Yugoslavian states (Montenegro and Kosovo) and several European micro states (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City) as well as in overseas territories (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin). Together this direct usage of the euro outside the EU affects over 3 million people.
It is also gaining increasing international usage as a trading currency, in Cuba,[31] North Korea and Syria.[32] There are also various currencies pegged to the euro (see below). In 2009 Zimbabwe announced to abandon its local currency and use major currencies instead including the euro and the US-dollar.[33]
[edit] Usage as reserve currency
Since its introduction, the euro has been the second most widely-held international reserve currency after the U.S. dollar. The share of the euro as a reserve currency has increased from 17.9% in 1999 to 26.5% in 2008, at the expense of the U.S. dollar (its share fell from 70.9% to 64.0% in the same timeframe) and the Yen (it fell from 6.4% to 3.3%). The euro inherited the status of the second most important reserve currency from the German mark. The rise in its reserve currency status was not gradual, rather a 4.4% jump in 2002 was the result of the introduction of euro banknotes and coins in the same year and of international public awareness.
The euro remains underweight as a reserve currency in advanced economies while overweight in emerging and developing economies: according to the IMF[34] the total of euros held as a reserve in the world at the end of 2008 was equal to USD 1.1 trillion, with a share of 22% of all currency reserves in advanced economies, but a total of 31% of all currency reserves in emerging and developing economies.
The possibility of the euro becoming the first international reserve currency is now widely debated among economists.[35] Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan gave his opinion in September 2007 that it is "absolutely conceivable that the euro will replace the dollar as reserve currency, or will be traded as an equally important reserve currency."[36] In contrast to Greenspan's 2007 assessment the euro's increase in the share of the worldwide currency reserve basket has slowed considerably since the year 2007 and since the beginning of the worldwide credit crunch related recession.[34]
[edit] Currencies pegged to the euro
Outside the Eurozone, a total of 23 countries and territories which do not belong to the EU have currencies that are directly pegged to the euro including 14 countries in mainland Africa (they use the CFP franc, the CFA franc and the Moroccan dirham), 2 African island countries (Comorian franc and Cape Verdean escudo), 3 French Pacific territories and another Balkan country, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark).
With the exception of Bosnia and Herzegovina (which pegged their currency against the German mark) and Cape Verde (formerly pegged to the Portuguese escudo) all of these non-EU countries had a currency peg to the French Franc before pegging their currencies to the euro. Pegging a country's currency to a major currency is regarded as a safety measure, especially for currencies of areas with weak economies, as the euro is seen as a stable currency, prevents runaway inflation and encourages foreign investment due to its stability.
Within the EU several currencies have a peg to the euro, in most instances as a precondition to joining the Eurozone. The Bulgarian Lev and the Estonian kroon were formerly pegged to the German mark, other EU memberstates have a direct peg due to ERM II: the Danish krone, the Lithuanian litas and the Latvian lats.
In total, over 150 million people in Africa use a currency pegged to the euro, 25 million people outside the Eurozone in Europe and another 500,000 people on Pacific islands. This means that the euro is the direct or indirect currency for over half a billion people worldwide.
[edit] Economics
[edit] Optimal currency area
In economics, an optimum currency area (or region) (OCA, or OCR) is a geographical region in which it would maximize economic efficiency to have the entire region share a single currency. There are two models, both proposed by Robert A. Mundell: the stationary expectations model and the international risk sharing model. Mundell himself advocates the international risk sharing model and thus concludes in favour of the euro.[37]
[edit] Transaction costs and risks
The most obvious benefit of adopting a single currency is to remove the cost of exchanging currency, theoretically allowing businesses and individuals to consummate previously unprofitable trades. For consumers, banks in the Eurozone must charge the same for intra-member cross-border transactions as purely domestic transactions for electronic payments (e.g., credit cards, debit cards and cash machine withdrawals).
The absence of distinct currencies also removes exchange rate risks. The risk of unanticipated exchange rate movement has always added an additional risk or uncertainty for companies or individuals that invest or trade outside their own currency zones. Companies that hedge against this risk will no longer need to shoulder this additional cost. This is particularly important for countries whose currencies had traditionally fluctuated a great deal, particularly the Mediterranean nations.
Financial markets on the continent are expected to be far more liquid and flexible than they were in the past. The reduction in cross-border transaction costs will allow larger banking firms to provide a wider array of banking services that can compete across and beyond the Eurozone.
[edit] Price parity
Another effect of the common European currency is that differences in prices – in particular in price levels – should decrease because of the 'law of one price'. Differences in prices can trigger arbitrage, i.e. speculative trade in a commodity across borders purely to exploit the price differential. Therefore, prices on commonly traded goods are likely to converge, causing inflation in some regions and deflation in others during the transition. Some evidence of this has been observed in specific markets.[38]
[edit] Macroeconomic stability
Low levels of inflation are the hallmark of stable and modern economies. Because a high level of inflation acts as a tax (seigniorage) and theoretically discourages investment, it is generally viewed as undesirable. In spite of the downside, many countries have been unable or unwilling to deal with serious inflationary pressures. Some countries have successfully contained them by establishing largely independent central banks. One such bank was the Bundesbank in Germany; as the European Central Bank is modelled on the Bundesbank,[39] it is independent of the pressures of national governments and has a mandate to keep inflationary pressures low.[citation needed] Member countries that join the bank commit to lower inflation, hoping to enjoy the macroeconomic stability associated with low levels of expected inflation.[citation needed] The ECB (unlike the Federal Reserve in the United States of America) does not have a second objective to sustain growth and employment.[citation needed]
Many national and corporate bonds denominated in euro are significantly more liquid and have lower interest rates than was historically the case when denominated in legacy currencies.[citation needed] While increased liquidity may lower the nominal interest rate on the bond, denominating the bond in a currency with low levels of inflation arguably plays a much larger role. A credible commitment to low levels of inflation and a stable debt reduces the risk that the value of the debt will be eroded by higher levels of inflation or default in the future, allowing debt to be issued at a lower nominal interest rate.
[edit] Exchange rates
| Year | Lowest ↓ | Highest ↑ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Rate | Date | Rate | |||
| 1999 | 03 Dec | $1.0015 | 05 Jan | $1.1790 | ||
| 2000 | 26 Oct | $0.8252 | 06 Jan | $1.0388 | ||
| 2001 | 06 Jul | $0.8384 | 05 Jan | $0.9545 | ||
| 2002 | 28 Jan | $0.8578 | 31 Dec | $1.0487 | ||
| 2003 | 08 Jan | $1.0377 | 31 Dec | $1.2630 | ||
| 2004 | 14 May | $1.1802 | 28 Dec | $1.3633 | ||
| 2005 | 15 Nov | $1.1667 | 03 Jan | $1.3507 | ||
| 2006 | 02 Jan | $1.1826 | 05 Dec | $1.3331 | ||
| 2007 | 12 Jan | $1.2893 | 27 Nov | $1.4874 | ||
| 2008 | 27 Oct | $1.2460 | 15 Jul | $1.5990 | ||
| 2009 | 05 Mar | $1.2555 | 2 Jun | $1.4238 | ||
| Source: Euro exchange rates in USD, ECB | ||||||
[edit] Flexible exchange rates
The ECB targets interest rates rather than exchange rates and in general does not intervene on the foreign exchange rate markets, because of the implications of the Mundell-Fleming Model which suggest that a central bank cannot maintain interest rate and exchange rate targets simultaneously because increasing the money supply results in a depreciation of the currency. In the years following the Single European Act, the EU has liberalised its capital markets, and as the ECB has chosen monetary autonomy, the exchange rate regime of the euro is flexible, or floating. This explains why the exchange rate of the euro vis-à-vis other currencies is characterised by strong fluctuations. Most notable are the fluctuations of the euro versus the U.S. dollar, another free-floating currency. However this focus on the dollar-euro parity is partly subjective. It is taken as a reference because the euro competes with the dollar's role as reserve currency. The effect of this selective reference is misleading, as it gives observers the impression that a rise in the value of the euro versus the dollar is the effect of increased global strength of the euro, while it may be the effect of an intrinsic weakening of the dollar itself.
[edit] Against other major currencies
After the introduction of the euro, its exchange rate against other currencies fell heavily, especially against the U.S. dollar. From an introduction at US$1.18/€, the euro fell to a low of $0.8228/€ by 26 October 2000. After the appearance of the coins and notes on 1 January 2002 and the replacement of all national currencies, the euro then began steadily appreciating, and soon regained parity with the U.S. dollar, on 15 July 2002. Since December 2002, the euro has not again fallen below parity with the U.S. dollar but instead began an ascendency.
Green: in Jan-1999: €1 = $1.18 ; in Jul-2008: €1 = $1.57
Red: in Jan-1999: €1 = ¥133 ; in Jul-2008: €1 = ¥168
Blue: in Jan-1999: €1 = £0.71 ; in Jul-2008: €1 = £0.80
On 23 May 2003, the euro surpassed its initial ($1.18) trading value for the first time. At the end of 2004, it reached $1.3668 (€0.7316/$) as the U.S. dollar fell against all major currencies. Against the U.S. dollar, the euro temporarily weakened in 2005, falling to $1.18 (€0.85/$) in July 2005, and was stable throughout the third quarter of 2005. In November 2005 the euro again began to rise steadily against the U.S. dollar, hitting one record high after another. On 15 July 2008, the euro rose to an all-time high of $1.5990 (€0.6254/$). In a reversal, in August 2008 the euro began to drop against the U.S. dollar. In just two weeks the euro fell from its peak to $1.48 and by late October it reached a two and a half year low below $1.25.[40] On 29 December 2008, the pound sterling fell to an all-time low of £0.97855 (€1.0219/£) against the euro.[41]
- Current and historical exchange rates against 29 other currencies (European Central Bank)
- Current dollar/euro exchange rates (BBC)
- Historical exchange rate from 1971 until now
| Current EUR exchange rates | |
|---|---|
| From Currate.com Tools: | AUD CAD CHF GBP HKD JPY USD RUB CNY TWD |
| From Yahoo! Finance: | AUD CAD CHF GBP HKD JPY USD RUB CNY TWD |
| From XE.com: | AUD CAD CHF GBP HKD JPY USD RUB CNY TWD |
| From OANDA.com: | AUD CAD CHF GBP HKD JPY USD RUB CNY TWD |
[edit] Linguistic issues
The formal titles of the currency are euro for the major unit and cent for the minor (one hundredth) unit and for official use in most Eurozone languages; according to the ECB, all languages should use the same spelling for the nominative singular.[42] This may contradict normal rules for word formation in some languages; e.g., those where there is no eu diphthong. For non-legally binding texts in English, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Translation recommends that the plural forms euros and cents should be used when appropriate.[43]
[edit] See also
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[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Official documents and legislation refer to the euro as "the single currency".
"Council Regulation (EC) No 1103/97 of 17 June 1997 on certain provisions relating to the introduction of the euro". Official Journal L 162 , 19/06/1997 P. 0001 - 0003. European Communities. 1997-06-19. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31997R1103:EN:HTML. Retrieved on 2009-04-01.
This term is sometimes adopted by the media(Google hits for the phrase) - ^ "What is EMU?". Eurodesigncontest.eu. http://www.eurodesigncontest.eu/emu.cfm?lang=en. Retrieved on 23 November 2008.
- ^ http://www.bis.org/publ/rpfxf07t.pdf
- ^ This figure is sourced in dollars and converted into euro based on the exchange rate for 28 November 2008 of €1 = US$1.2694: the European Central Bank (16 December 2008). "Banknotes and coins circulation". http://www.ecb.int/stats/euro/circulation/html/index.en.html. Retrieved on 1 January 2009. "Historic exchange rates". http://www.x-rates.com/cgi-bin/hlookup.cgi. Retrieved on 1 January 2009.
- ^ Atkins, Ralph (2006-12-27). "Euro notes cash in to overtake dollar". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/18338034-95ec-11db-9976-0000779e2340.html. Retrieved on 4 May 2007.
- ^ "Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects". Imf.org. 2006-09-14. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2008&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=163&s=PPPGDP&grp=1&a=1&pr.x=63&pr.y=7. Retrieved on 5 January 2009. "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". Imf.org. 2006-09-14. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2008&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=111&s=PPPGDP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=42&pr.y=7. Retrieved on 5 January 2009. "Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects". Imf.org. 2006-09-14. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2008&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=163&s=NGDPD&grp=1&a=1&pr.x=42&pr.y=3. Retrieved on 5 January 2009.
- ^ a b "Madrid European Council (12/95): Conclusions". European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/summits/mad1_en.htm. Retrieved on 14 February 2009.
- ^ "The Euro". Economic and Financial Affairs. http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/the_euro/index_en.htm?cs_mid=2946. Retrieved on 29 January 2009.
- ^ European Commission. "How to use the euro name and symbol". http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/the_euro/notes_coins8958_en.htm. Retrieved on 16 November 2008.; European Commission. "spelling of the words "euro" and "cent" In official community languages as used in community legislative acts" (PDF). http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/publication6336_en.pdf. Retrieved on 26 November 2008.
- ^ European Commission Directorate-General for Translation. "English Style Guide: A handbook for authors and translators in the European Commission" (PDF). http://ec.europa.eu/translation/writing/style_guides/english/style_guide_en.pdf. Retrieved on 16 November 2008.; European Union. "Interinstitutional style guide, 7.3.3. Rules for expressing monetary units". http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-370303.htm. Retrieved on 16 November 2008.
- ^ European Commission (January 2007). "Euro cash: five and familiar". [[Europa (web portal)|]]. http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/een/005/article_4324_en.htm. Retrieved on 26 January 2009.
- ^ European Commission (15 February 2003). "Commission communication: The introduction of euro banknotes and coins one year after COM(2002) 747". [[Europa (web portal)|]]. http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l25058.htm. Retrieved on 26 January 2009.
- ^ Robert Kalina, designer of the euro banknotes, at work at the Oesterreichische Nationalbank in Vienna.
- ^ Schmid, John (2001-08-03). "Etching the Notes of a New European Identity - International Herald Tribune". International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/08/03/euro_ed3_.php?page=2. Retrieved on 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Regulation (EC) No 2560/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2001 on cross-border payments in euro". EUR-lex - European Communities, Publications office, Official Journal L 344 , 28/12/2001 P. 0013 - 0016. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32001R2560:EN:HTML. Retrieved on 26 December 2008.
- ^ "Cross border payments in the EU, Euro Information, The Official Treasury Euro Resource". United Kingdom Treasury. http://www.euro.gov.uk/crossborder.asp. Retrieved on 26 December 2008.
- ^ the European Central Bank. "TARGET". http://www.ecb.int/paym/target/html/index.en.html. Retrieved on 25 October 2007.
- ^ Connolly, Kate (2001-12-23). "Inventor who coined euro sign fights for recognition". The Observer. Berlin: Guardian Unlimited. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4325292-102275,00.html.
- ^ "European Commission - Economic and Financial Affairs - How to use the euro name and symbol". Ec.europa.eu. 1998-05-03. http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/the_euro/notes_coins8958_en.htm. Retrieved on 5 January 2009.
- ^ "The €uro: Our Currency". europa.eu. http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/notes_and_coins/symbol_en.htm. Retrieved on 25 October 2007.
- ^ Siebert, Jürgen (2002). "The Euro: From Logo to Letter". Font Magazine (2). http://www.fontshop.com/features/fontmag/002/02_euro/.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". europa.eu. http://www.delidn.ec.europa.eu/en/references/references_5.htm#Q12. Retrieved on 25 October 2007.
- ^ Greece failed to meet the criteria for joining initially, so it did not join the common currency on 1 January 1999. It was admitted two years later, on 1 January 2001, with a Greek drachma (GRD) exchange rate of 340.750.
- ^ The final exchange rate was agreed on 11 July 2006. However, this rate was not formally effective until the tolar was succeeded by the euro on 1 January 2007.
- ^ The final exchange rate was agreed on 10 July 2007. However, this rate was not formally effective until the pound was succeeded by the euro on 1 January 2008.
- ^ The final exchange rate was agreed on 10 July 2007. However, this rate was not formally effective until the lira was succeeded by the euro on 1 January 2008.
- ^ The final exchange rate was agreed on 8 July 2008. However, this rate was not formally effective until the koruna was succeeded by the euro on 1 January 2009.
- ^ "Germain Pirlot 'uitvinder' van de euro" (in Dutch). De Zeewacht. 2007-02-16. http://www.agendaplus.info/artikeleuro.jpg. Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
- ^ by means of Council Regulation 2866/98 (EC) of 31 December 1998.
- ^ by Council Regulation 1478/2000 (EC) of 19 June 2000.
- ^ "Cuba to adopt Euro in foreign trade". BBC News. 1998-11-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/210441.stm. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ "US row leads Syria to snub dollar". BBC News. 2006-02-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4713622.stm. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ "Zimbabwe: A Critical Review of Sterp". 2009-04-17. http://allafrica.com/stories/200904170690.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-30.
- ^ a b "Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves (COFER) -- Updated COFER tables include first quarter 2009 data. June 30, 2009" (PDF). http://www.imf.org/external/np/sta/cofer/eng/cofer.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-07-08.
- ^ "Will the Euro Eventually Surpass the Dollar As Leading International Reserve Currency?" (PDF). http://www.wage.wisc.edu/uploads/Working%20Papers/chinnfrankel_NBER_eurotopcurrency.pdf.
- ^ "Reuters". Euro could replace dollar as top currency - Greenspan. http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSL1771147920070917. Retrieved on 17 September 2007.
- ^ A Plan for a European Currency, 1973 by Mundell
- ^ "Market Integration and Convergence to the Law of One Price: Evidence from the European Car Market". Nber.org. http://www.nber.org/papers/w8402. Retrieved on 5 January 2009.
- ^ de Haan, Jakob (2000). The History of the Bundesbank: Lessons for the European Central Bank. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-21723-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=EaIV0OWlaokC.
- ^ ECB official rates against the U.S. dollar from ecb.eu
- ^ ECB official rates against the British pound from ecb.eu
- ^ "European Central Bank, Covergence report May 2007" (PDF). http://www.ecb.eu/pub/pdf/conrep/cr200705en.pdf. Retrieved on 29 December 2008. "The euro is the single currency of the Member States that have adopted it. To make this singleness apparent, Community law requires a single spelling of the word euro in the nominative singular case in all Community and national legislative provisions, taking into account the existence of different alphabets."
- ^ For example, see European Commission, Directorate General for Translation: English Style Guide section 20.8 "The euro. Like 'pound', 'dollar' or any other currency name in English, the word 'euro' is written in lower case with no initial capital and, where appropriate, takes the plural 's' (as does 'cent')." European Commission Directorate-General for Translation - English Style Guide.
[edit] Further reading
- Baldwin, Richard and Charles Wyplosz, The Economics of European Integration, New York: McGraw Hill, 2004.
- European Commission, High Level Task Force on Skills and Mobility - Final Report, 14 December 2001.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: euro |
[edit] Official websites
[edit] Other
- The Euro Information Site – ibiblio
- The symbolic power of the euro - Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung
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