ECB reinforces cash’s role with new Euro banknote designs

Many european euro money bills in chaotic arrangement. Pile of eur banknotes with different colors and condition close up.
Editorial credit: LarysaPol / Shutterstock.com

The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has selected designs to represent two potential themes for future euro banknotes.

The chosen themes are: “European Culture”, focusing on shared cultural spaces and prominent Europeans, and “Rivers and Birds”, highlighting the resilience and diversity of nature.

These themes were agreed upon after suggestions from two multidisciplinary advisory groups and feedback from over 365,000 Europeans in surveys and focus groups held between 2021 and 2023.

Christine Lagarde, President of ECB, commented: “We are excited to present these real-life motifs that reflect our commitment to Europe and celebrate its cultural heritage and natural environment. The new banknotes will symbolise our shared European identity and the diversity that makes us strong.”

Theme: European culture

Motifs for this theme aim to showcase various cultural activities, spaces, and prominent European figures who have shaped the continent’s cultural heritage. 

The €5 note highlights performing arts, featuring Maria Callas and street performers. The €10 note showcases music, with Ludwig van Beethoven and a song festival. For the €20 note, the focus shifts to universities, with Marie Curie and a classroom scene. 

The €50 note honours libraries, depicting Miguel de Cervantes and people reading. The €100 note is dedicated to museums, featuring Leonardo da Vinci and art exhibitions. Finally, the €200 note celebrates public squares, with Bertha von Suttner and a tree-lined square.

Theme: Rivers and birds

“Rivers and birds” aims to emphasise the diversity and resilience of Europe’s natural ecosystems, highlighting the importance of environmental protection. Each banknote features different stages of rivers and bird species, alongside European institutions that represent the core values of the European project.

The €5 note focuses on a mountain spring with a wallcreeper and the European Parliament. The €10 note depicts a waterfall with a kingfisher and the European Commission. The €20 note showcases a river valley with a bee-eater colony and the European Central Bank. 

The €50 note highlights a white stork flying over a river, paired with the Court of Justice of the European Union. The €100 note features a river mouth with an avocet, alongside the European Council and Council of the European Union. Finally, the €200 note illustrates a seascape with a northern gannet and the European Court of Auditors.

In 2025, the ECB will form a jury and kick off a design competition open to designers from across the European Union. The ECB will also engage the public and experts to ensure the selected designs resonate with Europeans of all ages. In 2026, a public vote will be held to choose preferred designs from a shortlist.

According to the bank, new notes will only enter circulation some years after the decision and following the production process. Aside from physical cash, the bank also continues to probe the possibility of a ‘digital euro’ Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

Piero Cipollone, Executive Board Member of ECB, concluded: “We are developing new banknotes because we are committed to cash now and in the future. Banknotes are a symbol of our European unity and with the new motifs, we celebrate our shared history and commitment to a sustainable future.”