Two key themes emerged from the final designs presented: European culture and the richness of nature.
In the first case, the ECB proposes depicting people on the banknotes who have left their mark on the history of art, music, science, and literature. In the second, rivers and birds.
The bank has launched a survey to give citizens the opportunity to choose the final design. The winning design will be announced in December 2026.
However, it will be several more years before the new bills enter circulation. The new banknotes may not be introduced until 2029 at the earliest.
Will cash disappear?
“No one would undertake a major renovation on a house that is soon to be demolished,” Euronews quotes Doris Schneeburger, director of the ECB’s Banknote Department.
As cashless payments become increasingly widespread, the ECB aims to strengthen the role of banknotes as the primary form of “public money” available to citizens.
In parallel with preparations for the introduction of the digital euro—a new electronic form of payment in public money that could potentially be launched by 2029— the ECB is working to refute claims that cash will disappear and be completely replaced by the new digital currency.
“We intend to ensure that the ability to pay with public money will always remain—whether in cash or with the digital euro. The digital euro would complement cash, not replace it. All Europeans will still be free to choose how they pay—with cash, the digital euro, or another method,” Schneeburger said in an interview with Euronews.
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