Irish Times Friday, 2001, December 28, 12 countries urged to think single currency
A leading European Commission official has urged inhabitants of those 12 countries adopting the euro to start thinking in terms of the single currency straight away. "Start thinking immediately in terms of the euro," the European Economic Affairs Commissioner, Mr Pedro Solbes, said in an Italian newspaper interview. "Eliminate the lira as fast as possible. The weeks that will remain to adapt to the euro must not be seen as a supplementary period to put off the changeover." His advice came five days before the launch of the single European currency in cash form, although the euro has existed as a virtual currency since January 1999. Mr Solbes stressed that the new currency's great advantage for consumers would be transparency, "the possibility of immediately comparing prices from one country to another". Preparations for the launch of the new currency at midnight on December 31st continued across the euro zone yesterday. In Germany, central bank chief, Mr Ernst Welteke, called on his compatriots to keep cool and not rush to draw masses of euro notes from distributing machines on New Year's Day. "I appeal to federal citizens to behave rationally and not to storm the money machines on January 1st, 2002, to try to take out all they need for a year." Millions of Germans rushed to banks last week to obtain packets of euro coins, to the extent that some banks ran out of the so-called starter-kits within a few hours. Germans are also frantically disposing of cash and flooding shops with DM1,000 notes ahead of the euro's arrival. Apart from the unusual quantities of notes in circulation in Germany this year, it is the size of note denominations which is provoking the greatest surprise in a country where most people pay in cash. "We have never seen so many 1,000 mark bills," Mr Pellenghar said. In France, BNP Paribas offered workers a 0.8 per cent pay-rise and bonuses in an attempt to avert a strike called by unions to coincide with the launch of euro cash. Unions at the bank have been given until January 10th to consider the proposals, which include a bonus equal to 16 per cent of one month's pay, for a minimum of �450. Meanwhile, the euro remains high on the agenda of even those countries not moving over to it. Britain's Europe Minister, Mr Peter Hain, urged British shops and businesses to accept the euro. "I'd like to see as many businesses as possible benefit from the euro by taking it, as many are doing," he told BBC radio. Top British chains such as Dixons, Virgin, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer are among those ready to accept the new currency. In Sweden, another country that plans to remain outside of the euro zone for now, a new poll found a majority of Swedes wanted their country to embrace the euro. Sweden and Britain, with Denmark, will remain on the sidelines when the euro is adopted by 300 million people next Tuesday. - (Reuters, AFP)
