Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Spelling of 'euro' creates unexpected headache

As if the arguments over the Stability and Growth Pact and EU corporate tax harmonisation were not enough, a new and unexpected problem was presented to finance ministers this weekend by European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet.

Mr Trichet informed ministers that the word 'euro' was being spelled differently across Europe. In Slovenia, for example, it is called 'evro'. Latvians - if and when they join the common currency - will pay with 'eiro' and in Hungary, the word has an accent.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

This contravenes a regulation drawn up by EU leaders in 1997 that the word must be spelled 'euro' in all official languages.

Greece, however, is exempt because it has a different alphabet.

Dutch Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm said, "we were surprised to find that this problem existed, but we solved it", joking, "you see how decisive finance ministers can sometimes be".

However, he was flummoxed by a question asking what form the plural should take. Some use 'euro', others 'euros'.

The problem is unlikely to arise in the new member states for a few years. Although all ten new entrants to the EU club are treaty-bound to join the single currency, none is likely to do so before 2007.

Who is the real Mr Euro?

And the friction caused by the word 'euro' didn't stop there.

There were arguments over who should properly be dubbed "Mr Euro", after the appointment of Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker as the President of the group of finance ministers from the 12 euro countries.

Mr Juncker has been widely dubbed "Mr Euro" in the press but, as the overseer of euro zone monetary policy, Mr Trichet has jealously demanded the title back.

"As far as the currency is concerned, I am evidently 'Mr Euro'", said the Frenchman, according to AFP.

"Swiftly dial back" interest rates, ECB told

Italian central banker Piero Cipollone in his first monetary policy speech since joining the ECB's board in November, said that the bank should be ready to "swiftly dial back our restrictive monetary policy stance."

Latest News

  1. "Swiftly dial back" interest rates, ECB told
  2. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  3. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  4. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  5. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  6. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating
  7. Syrian mayor in Germany speaks out against AfD
  8. Asian workers pay price for EU ship recycling

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us