Time for EU to take note of the euro

Date: 23/10/1997

By Leyla Linton

THE Union's citizens could be forgiven for feeling left out in the cold in the great euro debate being conducted mainly by experts and politicians.

Until now, the focus has been almost entirely on statistics (fudged or not), forecasts (accurate or not) and political wrangling over criteria (realistic or not).

Tough austerity measures are for many in the EU the only direct experience of what the euro might mean to them.

However, aware that 80&percent; of people in the Union feel they are insufficiently informed about the euro and 90&percent; would like to see a more proactive communications policy, the European Commission has decided that the time has come to start encouraging EU governments to promote public awareness of the euro, as well as spending 8 million ecu on communication initiatives itself.

“There is increasing mobilisation by member states, but there is an opportunity to do much more,” says Patrick Child, spokesman for Economics Commissioner Yves-Thibault de Silguy.

The Commission is acutely aware of just how much is at stake. “The ultimate success of the euro will stand or fall by public support,” says Child.

Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, Finland, Austria and the Netherlands have already applied for some of the 18 million ecu available for joint programmes.

The aim is to create a bottom-up approach, although the Commission still believes its role is to promote a coherent central vision by, for example, organising a network of 180 conference speakers on the euro.

Some citizens have already had a limited chance to use euro - albeit fake - in places such as Fiesole and Pontassieve, near Florence, or Berlin. This is not a trial run or EU propaganda, but is designed to raise popular awareness of the euro. But critics say such moves are belated.