Slovenia and the euro

Slovenia at a glance

Surface area: 20 270 km²
Population: 2 010 377 (Eurostat 2007)
Joined the European Union: 1 May 2004
Currency: Euro since 1 January 2007 (formerly tolar, SIT)

Euro information

Status: Euro-area member since 1 January 2007

Fixed conversion rate: €1 = 239 640 SIT

Adoption of the euro: The scenario chosen by Slovenia was the ‘big bang’ changeover with a dual circulation period lasting from 1 January 2007 to 14 January 2007 during which both Slovenian tolar and euro banknotes and coins were used for payments.

Exchange of former national currency:

• Up to 1 March 2007 – at any bank, but banks could charge a fee for changing amounts over 1 500 euros, unless given at least one day’s notice.
• From 2 March 2007, at the Bank of Slovenia until 31 December 2016 for tolar coins and without a fixed deadline for tolar banknotes
• From 12 March 2007 onwards, tolars can also be exchanged at the branches of Nova kreditna banka Maribor and Deželna banka Slovenije.

Dual display of prices: Display of prices in both tolar and euro was mandatory until 30 June 2007.

Toll-free phone line: 080 2002

Documents and publications

Practical preparations

• Euro Adoption Act – 26 October 2006 
• Act on dual display of prices (November 2005)
• Masterplan for introduction of the euro – Second update (October 2006) 
• Masterplan for introduction of the euro – First update (January 2006) 
• Masterplan for the euro changeover (January 2005) 
• Communication strategy on the introduction of the euro

EU official documents

• The introduction of the euro in Slovenia. COMM(2007)233 final
• Fourth report on the practical preparations for the future enlargement of the euro area. COM (2006)671
• Commission convergence report on Slovenia – May 2006 
• ECB convergence report on Slovenia – May 2006 
• Slovenian tolar included in the Exchange Rate Mechanism II

Publications

• General public (Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Bank of Slovenia)
• Slovenian euro coins – brochure 
• European Economy news, issue No. 5 (January 2007) and SL version 
• Benefits of the euro in Slovenia

Press releases

• Slovenia’s changeover to the euro – a clear success (IP/07/609 Rapid 04/05/07)
• Slovenia successfully adopts the euro (IP/07/06 Rapid 05/01/07)
• Slovenia adopts the euro (IP/06/1903 Rapid 01/01/07)
• Three days to go before Slovenia adopts the euro (IP/06/1901 Rapid 28/12/06)
• Slovenia’s countdown to the euro (IP/06/1875 Rapid 21/12/06)
• Slovenia is well prepared for the euro, but needs to reassure consumers about prices, a new report on the practical preparations for the euro shows (IP/06/1542, Rapid 10/11/2006)
• Third report on the practical preparations for the euro: Commission urges Slovenia to speed up final steps (IP/06/817, Rapid 22/06/2006)
• Commission proposes Slovenia to adopt the euro in January 2007 (IP/06/623, Rapid 16/05/2006)

Opinion polls and surveys

• Flash Eurobarometer 208 . General public survey after the introduction of the euro in Slovenia (May 2007). Report  and summary 
• Flash Eurobarometer 205. General public survey after the introduction of the euro in Slovenia (March 2007). Report  and summary 
• Flash Eurobarometer 204. Dual circulation period in Slovenia. Situation as of 16 January. Report  and summary 
• Flash Eurobarometer 201b. Survey among banks in Slovenia after the euro introduction. Report  and summary 
• Public opinion and the single currency (Eurobarometer)
• Survey on the attitudes of Slovenian citizens to the introduction of the euro (Slovenian National Bank, September 2006)
• Survey on the attitudes of Slovenian citizens to the introduction of the euro (Slovenian National Bank, June 2006)

Downloads

• National sides of Slovenian euro coins
• Slovenian commemorative coins

Websites

Euro portals

• Evro-za vse nas – The euro is coming (official website of the euro changeover in Slovenia)
• Slovenian Portal of Information to the citizen on the European Union – ‘Slovenija, doma v Evropi’:

Institutional

• Banka Slovenije (Bank of Slovenia, also in English)
• Ministrstvo za finance (Ministry of Finance, also in English)
• Ministrstvo za gospodarstvo (Ministry of the Economy, also in English)
• Urad za makroekonomske analize in razvoj (Institute of Macro-economic Analysis and Development, IMAD, also in English) – Slovenian Economic Mirror
• Statisticni urad Republike Slovenije (Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia)

Business

• Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia)
• Obrtna Zbornica Slovenije (Chamber of Craft of Slovenia)
• Javne agencije za podjetništvo in tuje investicije, JAPTI (Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments)
• Euro Info Centres Slovenia
• Združenje bank Slovenije (The Bank Association of Slovenia)
• Banks in Slovenia

• Zveza potrošnikov Slovenije, ZPS (Slovene Consumers’ Association)