nouveaux-billets-euros

Vote now to choose the next banknotes!

undefined undefined undefined 13h00

The Editor

© BCE / Toute l'Europe

Launched five years ago, the currency change process in the eurozone is finally taking shape with ten potential projects. For all denominations, each showcasing a modern design that reflects the colors of the current banknotes, you can share your opinion on the European Central Bank (ECB) website.

On Thursday, July 23, the European Central Bank presented ten currency projects to the public, featuring denominations from 5 to 200 euros. Divided into two themes, five series represent “European Culture” through significant personalities, while the other five focus on “Rivers and Birds.”


Between Culture and Nature

For the theme of European culture, six great figures have been selected: the Greek singer Maria Callas, Ludwig van Beethoven, Marie Curie, Miguel de Cervantes, Leonardo da Vinci, and Bertha von Suttner, the Austrian Nobel Peace Prize winner. On the reverse side, you will find more general symbols associated with each person's legacy, such as the Vitruvian Man, the silhouette of Don Quixote, and the diagram of radium.


© BCE

For the second theme, each remarkable bird of the European landscape is linked to a European institution. We find a wallcreeper with the European Parliament, a kingfisher alongside the European Commission, a bee-eater with the European Central Bank, a white stork with the Court of Justice of the European Union, a avocet for the European Council, and a northern gannet with the European Court of Auditors.


© BCE


A Unique Project

Launched in 2002, the euro banknotes currently in circulation all come from the original "Europe" series. They do not depict any real monuments or historical figures, but rather showcase different architectural styles and bridges, aiming to avoid favoring one eurozone country over another. Only the €5 note was modified in 2013 to enhance security and refine the renewal process, but certainly not to alter its overall aesthetic.

Today, the central bank has decided to revamp all its denominations to improve accessibility for visually impaired individuals and to reduce the ecological footprint of their production.

n. To guide their final choice, the ECB invites all citizens of the euro area to vote for their favorite projects until September 21. But patience… Even after this vote, the currency change will only happen in several years, time to perfect the project and roll it out.

More info and vote