ECB Gives Euro Banknotes a Facelift Ahead of Digital Euro Launch
The European Central Bank (ECB) is introducing new euro banknotes with recognizable imagery and tighter security features, marking a significant change from previous designs.
The redesign aims to make the banknotes more relatable and closer to Europeans, featuring themes such as European culture and the richness of nature. Two major themes emerged in the proposals: depictions of figures who have left their mark on history in art, music, science, and literature, or rivers and birds.
The ECB launched a public survey for citizens to choose between these two options, with millions already responding. The winner will be announced in December 2026, but it won't be until at least 2029 that the new notes are introduced into circulation.
ECB banknotes director Doris Schneeberger emphasized that this redesign is not a sign of cash disappearing, but rather an effort to reinforce its role as public money. The ECB wants to counter false claims about the digital euro replacing cash and make it clear that paying with public money will always be an option.