The Governing Council of the ECB decides not to introduce very low denomination euro banknotes

After careful consideration, the Governing Council of the ECB has decided not to revise the earlier decision on the denominations of the euro banknotes (see the ECB’s press release of 12 September 1998) and consequently not to issue €1 or €2 banknotes.

The Governing Council has assessed all arguments put forward in the debate and concluded that, on balance, the negative aspects of introducing very low denomination banknotes outweigh the positive aspects.

In particular, the insufficient demand for very low denomination banknotes by the majority of euro area citizens, the increased inefficiency the introduction would imply for most of the affected third parties, for instance the retail sector and the vending machine industry, and the high costs of printing and processing support the Governing Council’s decision on this issue.