European Central Bank president Mr Wim Duisenberg said the switchover to euro cash and notes can already be described as a "tremendous success".
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Mr Wim Duisenberg
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Speaking at a news conference in Frankfurt to give an update on the progress of the euro changeover, Mr Duisenberg also said that as of this afternoon, 96 per cent or 197,400 of all automatic teller machines (ATMs) have already been converted to the euro.
"It is because Europeans have seized the opportunity to play an active part in the euro changeover that we can already pronounce this uprecendented move a tremendous success," he said.
He said the conversion of the ATMs has been "very much on track", with most countries already having completed the conversion as of today.
He said 100 per cent conversion has been made in Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Austria.
It is 97 per cent in Spain, 95 per cent in France and "about 90 per cent" in Portugal as well as in Finland, he added. He said it is 85 percent in Italy and is expected to be 90 per cent by the end of today.
AFP
