New euro banknotes: European Central Bank asks public for their opinions

An online poll will allow people to have their say on the seven pre-selected themes which will form the design idea for a new series of banknotes

Susana Zamora

Malaga

Friday, 14 July 2023, 12:32

European citizens can have their say on the theme for a series of new euro banknotes being issued by the European Central Bank (ECB).

The seven themes are: Birds: free, resilient and evocative; The future is yours; European culture; Hands: together we build Europe; Our Europe, us; Rivers: the waters of life in Europe; and European values reflected in nature.

The pre-selected themes for the design of the new banknotes being prepared by the ECB followed suggestions made by an advisory group, comprising members from a variety of European countries.

What is the purpose of this revamp?

The ECB said the development of a new series of banknotes is standard practice for all central banks. "In a world where reproduction technologies are evolving rapidly and counterfeiters have easy access to information and materials, it is necessary to issue new banknotes regularly," it said, adding that, reducing the environmental impact of euro banknotes is also a factor.

The ECB has launched a survey to allow European citizens to vote anonymously for their favourite design via the central bank's website between 10 July and 31 August.

An independent research company has also been contracted which will the ask the same questions to a sample of people in the euro zone area to obtain a spread of answers across different countries.

The results of the surveys will be used to select the theme for the next generation of banknotes before the end of 2024. A design competition will then be held and Europeans will once again have the opportunity to have their say on their preferences.

One theme, 'European values are reflected in nature', features a mountain range on 10-euro banknotes, while the other side of the note shows the "hands of a baby grasping those of an elderly person to represent humanity".

Another theme - 'equality' - features a forest with trees "that look the same, but are different and contribute equally to the forest" on a 50-euro banknote, while the other side features an image of "a doctor treating a patient and surrounded by students".

Birds are not everyone's cup of tea

Birds feature prominently among the seven pre-selected themes. One of the first EU environmental directives adopted in 1979 aimed to protect 500 wild bird species. Birds "do not care about natural barriers ... they enrich the world without depleting it, as we should do". But the ECB aknowledged that not everyone likes birds and that there are countries that already have them on their banknotes.

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