Activites

• 1998/05/11 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 1998/975
  • OJ L 139 11.05.1998, p. 0006
• #2089
• 1998/05/03 Council Meeting
• 1998/05/03 End of procedure in Parliament
• 1998/05/03 Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
• 1997/12/17 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T4-0620/1997 summary

    In adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mrs Irene SOLTWEDEL-SCHÄFER (Greens, D) Parliament stressed that the new coinage system should reflect the concerns expressed by the blind and by old people (graduation in the size of the coins). It also considered that, to the extent that the development of electronic payments will make large quantities of coins superfluous, coins ought to be made of a material (such as stainless steel) which can be recycled easily. It stated that a 100 euro coin should be struck in gold. Plenary also reiterated the request for 0.20 and 0.02 euro coins to be deleted. �

• 1997/12/16 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    Asserting that the euro was Europe in the pockets of citizens, Commissioner de Silguy recalled that, when the Ecofin Council adopted the common position, it had taken over the five amendments which the Commission had accepted (relating to the need for a reliable and effective system and for a system acceptable to all the citizens of the European Union). As regards the rapporteur’s two amendments at second reading (that the comments made by the blind and elderly should be taken into account and that coins should be easily recyclable), the Commissioner said that these could not be accepted as, among other aspects, the concerns of the visually impaired had been very extensively taken into account. The Commission could also not accept, within the framework of Article 105a(2) which related to euro denominations intended for circulation, the amendment on the introduction of 100 euro gold coins. However, the Commission suggested to all the monetary authorities of the Member States that they consider issuing a gold 100 euro collector’s coin. He added that this heavily symbolic proposal should meet with the approval of the various Member States. Finally, Mr de Silguy announced that, with the adoption of the regulation on the coins, the bulk of the arrangements required for moving to a single currency were now in place.

• 1997/12/02 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A4-0386/1997
• 1997/11/21 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2046
• 1997/11/20 Council Meeting
  • 12378/1997 summary

    The Council's common position included several of the amendments suggested by Parliament in its opinion which were also included in the Commission's amended proposal. In the light of these amendments, the common position: - clarified that the EC Mint Directors drew up a technical report on the issue whereas the formal proposal was made by the Commission in accordance with the Treaty procedures; - underlined the need to encourage public confidence in the euro coinage system and permit technological innovation; - stressed the need to enhance public acceptance through user-friendly physical characteristics of euro coins; - highlighted the importance of the link between the diameter and face value of the coins in this respect; - recalled that giving the coins a European and a national side was significant in terms of both symbolism and public acceptance. The Council also introduced new provisions aimed at clarifying certain references or amending incorrect figures: - it amended the title to clarify that the regulation concerned euro coins intended for circulation; - it indicated that the precise date for the issue of euro coins would be decided in accordance with the regulation concerning the introduction of the euro; - it added a recital to the effect that the figures relating to the thickness of the coins were of an indicative nature; - it amended the figure on the thickness of the coins from one to five cents (1.36mm thick), after receiving a correction from the Mint Directors. Finally, the Council did not integrate into its common position the European Parliament's amendments regarding: - the reduction of the number of coins to six; - the total exclusion of nickel from the surface of all coins; - the use of stainless steel for the 50 cent and the one and two euro coins; - the proposal to issue a gold coin with a face value of 100 euros. �

• #2044
• 1997/11/17 Council Meeting
• 1997/11/14 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0615 summary

    Pursuant to the opinion expressed by the European Parliament, the Commission has revised its original proposal in order to modify the fourth recital and add four new ones. The purposes of the changes are to: - note that the EC Mint Directors, in accordance with their mandate, have submitted a technical report on the denominations and technical specifications of the euro coins, which has served as a basis for the formal proposal submitted by the Commission; - emphasize the underlying objectives of the coin system proposed by the Commission, namely gaining public confidence, incorporating technical innovations and establishing a secure, reliable and efficient system; - emphasize one of the main visual and tactile characteristics taken into consideration to make it easer to identify the coins; - explain that the fact of having one European and one national side expresses the idea of European monetary union and will increase the degree of acceptance of the coins by European citizens; - correct a number of transcription errors in the original proposal (the diameter of the 5 cent coin is 21.25 mm, not 21.75 mm as previously indicated, and the weight of the 1 cent coin is 2.3 g, not 2.2 g). �

• 1997/11/06 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0530/1997 summary

    In adopting the report by Mrs SOLTWEDEL-SCHAEFFER (Greens, D), the European Parliament supported its rapporteur and asked that the coinage system should not include the 0.02 and 0.2 coins as the denominations 0.01/0.10 and 1.00 were the pillars of a decimal system. It wanted to reduce the future euro coinage system from eight to six coins and believed that this was only possible by doing away with the proposed 0.02 and 0.20 euro denominations. Parliament also agreed that the coins should have both a European and a national side. In a general manner, it proposed an amendment to the coins' diametre in millimetres. It also felt that it was important to exclude the use of nickel in the alloys of the surface of the coins, in other words, in any parts which were in contact with the skin of the users. Parliament pointed out that the new European single coinage system should induce public confidence and entail technological innovations that would establish it as a secure, reliable and an efficient system. It stressed that the number of denominations together with their face value should be based on all the Member States' experience with their most commonly used petty coins. Consideration should also be given to the increased use of electronic commerce and the views of the blind and of old people. Finally, the coins ought to be made of a material which can be recycled easily, such as stainless steel. �

• 1997/11/05 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    Commissioner Kinnock, deputising for Commissioner de Silguy who could not be present, said that the Commission was unable to accept any of Parliament’s amendments on the national face, abandonment of the two euro coins, simplification of the size of coins and elimination of nickel. Accepting these amendments would mean that production of euro coins could not reliably start the following year and would therefore jeopardise the deadline of 2002. The Commissioner also considered that the Commission’s proposal was based on criteria of public acceptability, technical feasibility and public health and responded to both industrial constraints and the requirements of users. In particular, as regards the national face of coins, Mr Kinnock pointed out that this decision had been taken in April 1996 by the Finance Ministers and had been confirmed in June of that year at the Florence European Council by the Heads of State and Government. Since that date, all the preparatory work had been based on that decision and France, Germany and Belgium had already unveiled their design for the national face and the other Member States concerned were about to do so. The Commissioner finally said that he was prepared to accept four amendments: Nos 1, 2 and 3 in part and the first paragraph of No 8.

• 1997/10/29 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0334/1997
• 1997/07/14 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• #2023
• 1997/07/07 Council Meeting
  • 2023 summary

    Having noted the positive result of the technical verification of capacity to produce euro coins made from Nordic Gold alloy, the Council confirmed the political agreement. The regulation will be formally adopted when the decision on adoption of the euro by the Member States has been taken. If the Commission submitted suggestions on the question of possible minimal harmonization of the characteristics of the national side of euro coins so that they are easier to recognise, the Council would examine the matter further.

• 1997/05/29 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0247 summary

    OBJECTIVE: The proposal for a regulation is intended to define uniform specifications for the first series of coins denominated in euros, with a view to ensuring their proper circulation in the Community. SUBSTANCE: The Commission's intention in proposing this regulation prior to the launching of the third stage of economic and monetary union is to ensure that a political agreement is reached thanks to which actual adoption of the act will be no more than a formality. The specifications proposed have been conceived to ensure that the coins are easy to use, can be identified by their visual and tactile characteristics, are suited to the various user groups and offer all possible guarantees against forgery. The proposal defines the unit values and technical characteristics (diameter, thickness, weight, colour, composition and edge) of the eight euro coins.�

• #2004
• 1997/05/12 Council Meeting
  • 2004

Documents

• Debate in Council: 2004
• Legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0247
• Debate in Council: 2023
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0334/1997
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0530/1997
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0615
• Council position published: 12378/1997
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0386/1997
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0620/1997
• : Regulation 1998/975
• : OJ L 139 11.05.1998, p. 0006

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)