Monetary Union: currency Countdown

1. EU governments immediately to launch or intensify advertising and educational campaigns to win over the general public.

2. Governments to select before the end of 1997 the design of the national faces of euro coins - physical production of coins to start from next May.

3. Before end of 1997, commission to make a formal proposal on exact date for introduction of coins and notes

4. Member states to present by end 1997 their draft legislation for how national public administrations will make the transition to euros for tax declarations and accounting.

5. Public-debt issuers must clarify by the end of the year the treatment of outstanding stocks of debt and new issues of debt in euros after 1 January 1999.

6. Decisions on the tax consequences of the euro must be made known before the end of the year.

7. Computer and information systems will have to be adapted before end 1998

8. "EUR" currency code and symbol for the euro to be registered so that computer systems can be adapted.

9. Decision to be taken before end of the year on dual pricing displays in shops after launch of euro.

10. Technical work on coins to be finalised over next three months to include nickel content, quantities of coins to be produced by national mints, handling of used coins and issue of commemorative coins.