Shortlist of New Euro Design Themes Unveiled

The European Central Bank (ECB) is asking European citizens about their views on the proposed themes for the next series of euro banknotes, which have now been made public.

The Theme Advisory Council (TAG) – an independent group established in 2021 and whose are members draw from a variety of fields such as history, natural and social sciences, the visual arts and technology - has issued a shortlist of six themes from an original list of 29 proposals. They are: 

• European values mirrored in nature

• Birds: free, resilient and inspiring

• The future is yours

• Rivers: the waters of life in Europe

• Hands: together we build Europe

• Our Europe, ourselves.

To these six the ECB Governing Council has added a seventh – European culture, ‘to strengthen European identity’. The group was tasked to create a story for each proposal outlining their merit and reasons behind them.

The ECB is now opening the debate to the public throughout eurozone countries in a consultation that will run through the end of August. All citizens will be able to participate in the survey via the ECB’s website.

The central bank has also commissioned an independent research company to ask a representative sample of people of people in the euro area the same questions as those in its own survey, and will run focus groups to ensure ‘opinions from across the eurozone are equally represented’.

The outcome of the surveys will be used by the ECB to select the theme for the next generation of banknotes by 2024. After that a design competition will take place. Euro area citizens will again have the chance to express their preferences on the design options resulting from that competition.

The ECB’s Governing Council is expected to take the decision on the future design, and on when to produce and issue the new banknotes, in 2026.

The design of both the first and second (Europa) series is based on the ‘ages and styles’ theme of the first series, with windows and bridges as the principal motifs. The upgraded Europa series that was introduced from 2013 onwards used images of the mythical goddess of the same name in the watermark and holographic stripe to add a quasi-human touch, but retained the same design and was primarily a refresh. The third series, however, will be a wholesale redesign.

According to the ECB, the redesign is in part due to keeping abreast of the latest security technologies, but also because it is committed to reducing the environmental impact of euro banknotes throughout their life cycle, while also making them more relatable and inclusive for Europeans of all ages and backgrounds, including vulnerable groups such as people with visual impairments.