http://www.eubusiness.com <p><strong>Latest business news about the euro - the Common Currency of the European Union.</strong></p><p><img src="../euro-symbol-coins-ec.jpg" class="image-right" alt="euro coins" height="128" width="128" hspace="10" vspace="5" />The euro is the single currency shared by (currently) 16 of the European Union's Member States, which together make up the euro area. </p><p>The introduction of the euro in 1999 was a major step in European integration. It has also been one of its major successes: around 329 million EU citizens now use it as their currency and enjoy its benefits, which will spread even more widely as other EU countries adopt the euro.</p><p><strong>FACT SHEETS</strong></p><p><strong>General Information</strong></p><ul><li><a href="../EMU">The Euro and Economic and Monetary Union</a></li><li><a href="../financial-markets">The Euro and International Financial Markets</a></li></ul><p><strong>Business</strong></p><ul><li><a href="../business">The Euro - Business Benefits</a></li><li><a href="../SMEs">Financing Programmes for SMEs</a></li></ul><p><strong>Useful Links</strong></p><p><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/eu_economic_situation/eu_economic_situation8652_en.htm">Economies of the EU Member States</a></p><br /><br /><p><a href="../contacts"><strong>EU Economic and Financial Affairs Contacts</strong></a></p><hr /><h2>LATEST NEWS</h2> daily 1 2007-01-02T13:25:17Z http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/politics-economy.3o5 European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet said it would be "absurd" to think that a eurozone nation could leave the bloc if it shirks its obligations, an idea Germany floated on Wednesday. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. ECB budget deficit Greece politics economy 2010-03-17T21:58:59Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/ecb-eurozone-bosnia.3lm The European Central Bank has unveiled a million-euro programme to help Bosnia implement European Union banking standards as it prepares for EU membership. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. eurozone ECB Bosnia banking Headline1 bank 2010-03-15T11:23:21Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-economy.3ju The European Central Bank will consider a proposed emergency fund for eurozone economies in distress, ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet said on Wednesday. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. eurozone ECB fund Headline1 economy finance 2010-03-11T22:41:57Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-finance.3j2 The idea of a European Monetary Fund is "unhelpful" but could be welcomed if it cuts deficits, Germany's central bank chief said Tuesday, stressing that Europe should focus on existing debt rules. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. eurozone ECB Germany economy finance 2010-03-09T23:46:23Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/ecb-imf-finance.3ie The European Central Bank's head economist took aim Monday at a proposal to create a "European IMF" that would come to the aid of heavily indebted countries like Greece. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. ECB IMF finance economy greece 2010-03-08T16:37:08Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/greece-imf-ecb-bank.2vw Caught between striking workers and sceptical EU officials, Greece's crisis-hit Socialist government will have to brief the EU's budget chief next week on its plans to tame the country's massive debt. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. ECB IMF Commission Greece debt public bank economy 2010-02-25T21:40:42Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-ecb-bank.2vv A steep fall in eurozone lending even though the amount of money available rose slightly in January highlights a serious risk to Europe's fragile finances and recovery, analysts say. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. eurozone features money banking M3 bank ECB 2010-02-25T21:39:50Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/greece-imf-ecb-bank.2vr European Union and IMF experts on Thursday were finalising a report on Greece's crisis-hit finances as the embattled Socialist government digested the impact of a general strike against its austerity cuts. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. Greece IMF ECB bank economy public debt 2010-02-25T12:47:04Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/greece-imf-ecb-bank.2vi Greece enters a new phase of tense uncertainty over its programme to slash overspending on Thursday when European Union and IMF experts leave Athens with their findings of an audit of national finances. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. Greece IMF ECB bank economy public debt 2010-02-25T10:57:07Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-ecb-bank.2vb A sharp contraction in eurozone lending even as the overall amount of money swirling around the 16-nation bloc edged higher underscored concern over the strength of a European recovery on Thursday. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. eurozone ECB money banking bank 2010-02-25T13:36:28Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy-ecb.2qf European finance ministers on Tuesday chose Portugal's Vitor Constancio for the key job of deputy head of the European Central Bank (ECB), an EU statement said. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. eurozone ECB Portugal Finance Council of Ministers economy 2010-02-16T18:21:00Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/ecb-eurozone.2q6 Germany will have to battle to get its central bank governor Axel Weber named as the European Central Bank's next president, the head of the eurozone finance ministers warned on Tuesday. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. ECB eurozone executive 2010-02-16T12:22:12Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/ecb-eurozone-bank.2pc Germany is set to step up its campaign to name central bank chief Axel Weber as the next European Central Bank president as eurozone ministers meet to decide on the next ECB vice president. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. eurozone ECB Germany Headline1 bank 2010-02-15T15:25:58Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/ecb-greece-finance.2p6 European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet on Sunday told debt-ridden Greece to strengthen its audit procedures, saying that using unverified figures "should not have been tolerated." No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. ECB Greece finance 2010-02-14T18:32:02Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/ecb-summit-economy.2of European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet welcomed on Friday comments by European Union leaders on the Greek debt crisis, calling their joint statement "important". No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. ECB summit economy Greece 2010-02-12T06:57:01Z News Item