Some see it as a group which adds more red tape and operates behind closed doors. It didn't help when, in the spring of 1999, a damaging report suggested there was corruption and mismanagement in the EU's executive body, the European Commission. All 20 commissioners were forced to step down. If you live in Europe, how you feel about the EU is apt to depend on the size of your country, its level of economic development and your country's history of getting along with its neighbors. When it comes to identity, there's nothing like the stuff in your wallet to illustrate what your country is all about.
Money often has pictures of a country's leaders on it.
And the ability to print money is one of the main tools a government has to control the local economy. I n 1999, the euro was created to be the official currency for 11 EU member nations. Paper money and coins will be introduced in January of 2002, and by July 2002, national currencies will be phased out. The idea is to have everyone in Europe using the same money. The Euro has been called both Europe's greatest achievement and biggest blunder.