Design of New Euro Banknote a Choice Between Culture and Nature

Euro banknotes are set to be adorned with either rivers and birds, or images of European culture, as the Governing Council of European Central Bank (ECB) whittles down options for the first redesign of the currency since its inception.

The two themes selected come from an original list of 29 proposals and shortlist of seven.

The decision is based on the results of surveys carried out in the summer for the European public to express their preferences from the shortlisted themes.

In a representative survey commissioned by the ECB, ‘European culture’ was most popular (21%) amongst euro area citizens, followed by ‘Rivers: the waters of life in Europe’ (18%) and ‘Birds: free, resilient, inspiring’ (17%). The survey comprised a representative sample of 23,377 Europeans.

The ECB also conducted the same survey online throughout July and August, attracting a record number of more than 365,000 responses. The results complemented the findings of the representative survey. The same three themes were preferred, albeit in a different order, with the other four shortlisted themes (including European values, the future and hands together) ranked substantially lower.

The two themes of Rivers and Birds will be combined into one nature-related theme, and taken forward along with the European culture theme.

An advisory group has been established to propose motifs for the selected themes by the end of 2024. After that, a competition to design the new banknotes will be held and European citizens will again have the chance to express their preferences on the design options.

Plans for a new design were first announced in 2021, with the ECB seeking something more identifiable than the abstract series of bridges and windows in architectural styles ranging from classical to modern that have adorned the notes since the launch of the euro.

‘We are very happy with the strong participation in our online survey,’ said ECB President Christine Lagarde. ‘Both of the chosen themes share a common thread of connecting Europe and Europeans, and this is very much in keeping with our goal of making banknotes more relatable to people of all ages and backgrounds.’ 

The ECB is expected to decide on the final designs, and when to produce and issue the new banknotes, in 2026. Once a decision to produce new banknotes has been taken, it says that it will still be several years before the first banknotes are issued.