Söderman calls for probe into eurocent furore

Date: 07/03/02

By Martin Banks

EUROPEAN Ombudsman Jacob Söderman has demanded a probe into the Finnish government's decision not to use one and two eurocent coins.

Only a small number of the coins are in circulation in Finland because the government says it is not worth the cost of minting them. But the limited circulation has led to complaints that many retailers are rounding up prices.

Now Strasbourg-based Söderman, himself a Finn, has asked the European Commission to launch an investigation into whether the practice is unfair and discriminatory.

The EU executive will be asked to rule on whether the policy contravenes Union law. If it finds that it does, the matter could go to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

There are eight denominations of euro coins, ranging from one cent to 2 euro.

Finland is the only country in the 12-nation eurozone which is not producing small denomination coins, said Benita Broms, one of Söderman's legal officers.

She said the Ombudsman had received two complaints about this but had transferred the matter to the Commission for investigation because, as it concerns a member state, it is outside his mandate.

'The Finnish practice is not to mint one and two cent coins for general circulation and, therefore, to round up prices upwards or downwards,' said Broms, who is also Finnish. 'But since 1 January when the euro was adopted, rounding up of prices, rather than down, has become commonplace in Finland.

'This, quite naturally, is causing a lot of disquiet.'

• BLIND people cannot tell the difference between the various high-value euro notes, say disabled rights campaigners, and the confusion could cost the visually impaired a fortune.

The Institute for the Blind has written to the European Central Bank calling for the new currency to be redesigned. The UK-based group has also raised the issue with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

It claims that in an experiment, blind people could not distinguish between the €100, €200 and €500 notes. Spokesman Gerald Price, who has been blind for more than 40 years, described the size similarity as a 'nightmare' for blind people.

'The problem is that the 100, 200 and 500 notes are exactly the same width,' he said. 'If someone gave me one of these, I would not know what I had. There are many [blind] people in business and they have to recognise immediately what they have been given.'

A spokesman for Frankfurt-based ECB dismissed the criticism. 'The notes were designed in conjunction with several target groups, including the European Blind Union,' he said.

'I accept that the width of the high-value notes are the same. But their length, which is considered to be the crucial factor for blind people, differs. The €100 is 147mm long, the €200 is 153mm while the €500 note is 160mm.

'Obviously, it is important that blind people and those with sight problems can tell the difference between notes but we think we've done all we can to achieve this.'

European Ombudsman Jacob Söderman has demanded a probe into the Finnish government's decision not to use one and two eurocent coins.