European consumers should be given weeks rather than months to exchange national notes and coins for the new single currency in 2002, says the European Commission.

The Commission wants the period during which euro notes and coins and national currencies circulate in parallel to be kept to "at most a few weeks" - well short of the maximum transition period of six months.

The recommendations, announced yesterday by Mr Yves-Thibault de Silguy, Commissioner for Monetary Affairs, will please retailers. Most shops favour a "big bang" approach to introducing the new notes and coins. But the rapid switch could irritate consumer groups and banks, which have called for a longer transition.

The Commission also believes shops should not be forced to display prices in both national currencies and euros. Where dual pricing does take place it should be governed by a "standard of good practice".

It wants banks, however, to be forced to provide "obligatory" services linked to introduction of the single currency, such as exchanging notes and coins and converting bank accounts into euros, free of charge.

The Commission's recommendations will be discussed at a "round table" of professional and consumer groups in Brussels on February 26th. Consumer groups have called for a longer transition to give the public time to adjust to the new currency and for dual pricing, to ensure retailers and other service sectors do not use the introduction of the euro to mask price increases.