Commission Recommendation of 10 January 2008 on measures to facilitate future changeovers to the euro (notified under document number C(2007) 6912)
Date: 2008-01-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Economic and Monetary Union, euro, public awareness campaign

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Official Journal of the European Union

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RECOMMENDATIONS

COMMISSION

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION

of 10 January 2008

on measures to facilitate future changeovers to the euro

(notified under document number C(2007) 6912)

(2008/78/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community, and in particular Article 211 thereof,

establishing the European

Whereas:

(1) While the first group of participants experienced a long
transition phase during which the euro was
their
currency but euro cash was not yet introduced, most
of
the existing national plans for future changeovers
foresee the introduction of euro coins and banknotes
on the day of adoption of the euro. This difference and
the
the wide availability of euro cash implies
Member States preparing for the adoption of the euro
should implement a different
strategy to the one
followed between 1999 and 2002.

that

(2)

In these different circumstances, the provisions of the
Commission Recommendation of 11 October 2000 on
measures to facilitate the preparation of the economic
operators for the changeover to the euro (1) do not
adequately address the questions raised by the change
of context. Therefore, in order to take into consideration
this new context and to profit
from the experience
acquired in the course of the introduction of euro cash
in 2002, 2007 and 2008, a new Recommendation
should be adopted,

A national changeover plan covering all aspects of the
2.
should be prepared,
organisation of
the euro changeover
discussed with the representatives of
the main economic
operators (credit institutions, retail sector, CIT companies, the
vending
of
commerce etc.) and regularly updated.

associations,

consumer

chambers

industry,

Article 2

Facilitating the preparation of the citizens for the euro

1.
National law should impose the dual display of prices and
other monetary amounts to be paid, credited or debited. The
mandatory dual display should start as soon as possible after
the official adoption of the irrevocably fixed conversion rate
between the national currency and the euro by the Council.
Member States should discourage retailers from using dual
display before the official adoption of
the conversion rate.
Member States should also require a separate display of any
in
charges
euro between the fixing of the conversion rate and the intro-
duction or the euro. Using a conversion rate other than the
conversion rate adopted by the Council should be prohibited.
The dual display should remain mandatory for a period of a
minimum of six months and a maximum of one year after the
introduction of the euro. It should stop afterwards, in order to
allow the citizens to get fully accustomed to the new currency.

for accepting payments

imposed by businesses

HEREBY RECOMMENDS:

Article 1

Steering the organisation of the changeover

1. Member States should set up appropriate and dedicated
structures to plan, coordinate and facilitate all the necessary
preparations for the introduction of the euro.

(1) Recommendation 2000/C 303/05 (OJ C 303, 24.10.2000, p. 6).

2. Member States should ensure that the citizens are well
informed of the arrangements for the changeover to the euro,
of the provisions for the protection of the euro banknotes and
coins and of the security features of euro cash, and they should
help citizens to learn the new scale of value. This information
drive should be maintained for some time after the euro intro-
duction. In particular, special information programmes should
be established for vulnerable persons (such as senior citizens,
persons suffering from a physical, sensory or mental health
problem, etc.) as well as for the persons for whom access to
information is difficult (such as migrants and homeless persons,
illiterate and innumerate persons, etc.).

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3. Member States, credit institutions and enterprises should
organise training sessions in order to familiarise the personnel
working regularly with cash to the euro so as to ensure better
recognition, correct identification of the security features and
banknotes.
quicker manipulation
and
Furthermore, recurrent practical
training sessions should be
organised for people with visual impairment in order to help
them develop a sensory memory for the new currency.

coins

euro

of

loaded with banknotes and coins in the last weeks preceding the
changeover. Special arrangements, including notably kits of euro
coins for retailers, should be foreseen for small retail outlets. In
order to encourage sales outlets to participate in sub-fron-
financially attractive deferred debiting conditions
tloading,
should be offered to them. Citizens should be able to acquire
kits of euro coins during the three weeks before the changeover,
with a view to ensure that each household could dispose of at
least one kit.

Public administrations

4.
should provide businesses, and
especially SMEs, with precise information on the timetable for
the changeover and the relevant legal, tax and accounting rules.
Trade associations, euro info centres, chambers of trade and
commerce, accountants and business advisers should ensure
that the businesses with which they are in contact make the
necessary preparations and are able to carry out all their trans-
actions in euro as from the date of its introduction.

3.
Cash dispensers should be adapted to dispensing euro
banknotes as from the introduction of the euro. Cash dispensers
which, for technical reasons, cannot be adapted on time should
be closed. Cash withdrawals and exchanges at credit institutions
during the two weeks before and after the changeover should
primarily be made in small denomination banknotes.

5.
Credit institutions should inform their customers of the
practical consequences of the changeover to the euro. They
should, in particular, draw their attention to the fact that they
will no longer be able to make scriptural payments or keep an
account in any of the old national currency units after the date
of the introduction of the euro.

4.
Sales outlets should be obliged to give change exclusively
in euro as from its introduction, unless they are for practical
reasons unable to do so. Ad hoc measures should be taken in
order to facilitate their sub-frontloading with cash and reduce
the difficulties linked to the increase of cash volume in sales
outlets.

Businesses should take action to raise the awareness of
training activities for

6.
their employees and organise ad hoc
members of their staff who are in contact with the public.

5.
All electronic point-of-sale terminals should be switched
to the euro on the day of its introduction. Consumers should be
encouraged to use electronic payments more often during the
first days after its introduction.

the preparation of
should monitor
7. Member States
economic operators for the changeover to the euro, notably
through regular surveys.

Article 3

Ensuring a quick introduction of euro cash

1. With a view to reducing the amounts of money to be
physically exchanged, consumers
should be encouraged to
deposit their surplus cash holdings in the weeks before the
changeover. Contracts usually involving national
currency
which are concluded after the Council decision fixing the irre-
vocable conversion rate should preferably refer to the euro to
the extent that their validity extends beyond the date of the
introduction of the euro.

2.
Credit institutions and sales outlets should make use of
the frontloading and sub-frontloading of euro banknotes and
coins in the months before the changeover as foreseen by the
European Central Bank (1). Sales outlets should be sub-front-

(1) See Guideline of the European Central Bank of 14 July 2006 on
certain preparations for the euro cash changeover and on front-
loading and sub-frontloading of euro banknotes and coins outside
the euro area (ECB/2006/9, OJ L 207, 28.7.2006, p. 39).

6.
The main offices of credit institutions should be opened
during the first days of the dual circulation period in order to
facilitate the exchange of
the national currency for euro.
Furthermore, bank opening hours should be extended during
the period of the changeover. Retailers should be provided with
special facilities allowing a quicker cash supply with a view to
avoiding queues.

Article 4

Preventing abusive practices and a wrong perception of the
evolution of prices by the citizens

Agreements should be negotiated with the retail and
1.
impact of
the
services sector in order to ensure a neutral
euro introduction on prices. Retailers
should notably not
increase prices because of the changeover and should try to
minimize price changes when setting the prices in euro after
the conversion. These agreements should be materialised in the
adoption of a logo which is visible and easily recognisable for
consumers. The logo should be advertised by means of commu-
nication and information campaigns. A close monitoring of the
retailers’ compliance with the commitments undertaken under
the agreements should be put in place in cooperation with
consumer associations. Dissuasive measures should be foreseen
for cases of non-compliance, ranging from public disclosure of
enterprise’s name to possible fines for the most serious cases.

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2. Member States should implement a close and frequent
monitoring of
following the
the prices during the weeks
adoption of the conversion rate until the end of the period of
dual display of prices. Weekly information on the evolution of
in particular, be offered to citizens during the
prices should,
weeks immediately before and after the changeover in order
to prevent possible wrong perceptions.

The same bank charges applicable to payment transactions
3.
in national currency should be, after conversion, applicable to
payment transactions in euro.

Article 5

Final provision

Member States are invited to support the implementation of this
Recommendation.

Article 6

Addresses

This Recommendation is addressed to the Member States with a
derogation as defined in Article 122 of the Treaty as well as to
credit institutions, enterprises, trade associations and consumer
organisations in these Member States.

Done at Brussels, 10 January 2008.

For the Commission

Joaquín ALMUNIA
Member of the Commission