ECB Presents Ten Draft Designs for New Euro Banknotes and Launches Public Survey

Theme "European Culture": Famous Personalities on the Notes

In the ECB Eurotower in Frankfurt am Main, ECB President Christine Lagarde presented a total of 120 designs, 60 obverses and 60 reverses. There are five implementation proposals per thematic area. The selection forms the basis for the first complete redesign of the euro banknotes since their introduction on 1 January 2002.

Under the motto "European Culture," well-known personalities would be depicted on the obverses: the singer Maria Callas (five-euro note), the composer Ludwig van Beethoven (ten-euro note), the scientist Marie Curie (twenty-euro note), the writer Miguel de Cervantes (fifty-euro note), the artist Leonardo da Vinci (one-hundred-euro note) and the writer Bertha von Suttner (two-hundred-euro note). The reverses show scenes such as street artists or a singing festival, as well as European institutions such as the European Parliament, the European Commission and the ECB.

Theme "Rivers and Birds": Nature Motifs for the Five to the Two Hundred

The second theme bears the title "Rivers and Birds" and, according to the ECB, places the "resilience and diversity of Europe's natural ecosystems" at its centre. Planned for the obverses are mountain springs and river valleys with bird species: wallcreeper (five-euro note), kingfisher (ten-euro note), a flock of bee-eaters (twenty-euro note), white stork (fifty-euro note), pied avocet (one-hundred-euro note) and northern gannet (two-hundred-euro note).

The shape and colours of the banknotes are to remain unchanged compared to the current notes. The five-euro note therefore remains grey, the ten-euro note red and the twenty-euro note blue. What will be changed, however, are the motifs, the security features and the recognisability for people with visual impairments. "Mit verbesserten und innovativen Sicherheitsmerkmalen wollen wir den Fälschern immer einen Schritt voraus sein," said Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel.

Selection Process: From 1,200 Applications to Ten Finalists

In selecting the designs, the ECB used a two-stage process: from an EU-wide call for applications with more than 1,200 submissions from graphic designers, an independent jury of 21 experts from the fields of graphic design, communication, neuroscience and history selected ten proposals. 25 designers had previously been invited to develop drafts on one or both themes.

A public online survey is running until 21 September, in which all citizens of the euro area can participate. The ECB expects the ECB Council to select the final design probably at the end of 2026. In addition to the online survey, the expert jury's assessment, technical analyses and a further survey among a representative sample of the euro countries will feed into the decision.

Voices from the ECB Council and the National Central Banks

ECB President Christine Lagarde emphasised the symbolic significance of money: "Euro-Banknoten sind mehr als ein Zahlungsmittel – sie sind eine der greifbarsten Ausdrucksformen Europas." The central bank wants to hear the voice of the public: "Die Banknoten gehören Ihnen." The euro is, according to the ECB, the common currency of around 358 million people in 21 EU countries.

Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel appealed to citizens: "Nutzen Sie die Gelegenheit, Ihre Meinung einzubringen und die Zukunft des Euro mitzugestalten." The more people vote, "desto besser spiegeln die Euro-Banknoten künftig die Vielfalt und die Werte Europas wider". ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone added that the redesign is part of the Eurosystem's long-term efforts, "dafür zu sorgen, dass Bargeld ein sicheres, effizientes und ansprechendes Zahlungsmittel bleibt".

The Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) welcomed the selection. "Das ist wichtig, denn die Euro-Banknoten gehören den Menschen in Europa – sie sollen sich auch in ihrem Design wiederfinden," said OeNB Governor Martin Kocher. OeNB Director Thomas Steiner recalled that the first euro banknotes had been designed by the Austrian Robert Kalina. The introduction of euro cash in 2002 had been "nicht nur ein bloßer Währungswechsel".

Criticism from the Original Designer Robert Kalina

Criticism of the choice of themes, however, came from the creator of the first euro series himself. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Robert Kalina said that birds and rivers belonged on a postage stamp and not on the continent's most important currency: "Es täte mir leid, wenn der Euro künftig anders aussähe."

The ECB had initiated a process to redesign the banknotes at the end of 2021. The second generation of notes with new security features has already been complete since May 2019. With the current step, it is now about the design and the population's identification with the euro. The currency guardians also want to reduce the environmental impact of production: the goal is for the notes to last longer.

Timeline: Decision at the End of 2026, Introduction Not Before 2028

With the presentation of the ten designs, a phase in which the ECB had first defined the two motto pages comes to an end. Now it is up to the citizens. The final selection will be made by the ECB Council. The introduction of the new notes is not planned until 2028 or 2029, following extensive tests and security procedures.

Overall, the ECB demonstrates through the process that it understands the new design as a joint project. With the online survey, the approximately 358 million euro users are given the opportunity to contribute their preferences directly – a novelty in the history of the common currency.