In April Tiger years (seventh day), May 2, 1998, the euro's launch countdown.


May 1998, the Heads of State and Heads of Government of the 15 EU countries held a special meeting in the Belgian capital of Brussels, agreed after several hours of difficult negotiations, confirmed that Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland , Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland 11 Euro founding members of the first to join the European single currency, agreed to by the current European monetary Secretary Duisenberg served as the first president of the European Central Bank. The countdown to the decision made by the EU special summit marks the implementation of the single European currency system. The timetable drawn up by the EU, starting from January 1, 1999, the euro will "currency" as the country's non-cash transactions, checks, credit cards, stocks and bonds in circulation; since January 2002. EUR11 will total 70 billion euro cash into circulation; after 1 July 2002, each of the 11 countries of the currency will be terminated circulation and replaced by the euro.