Frankfurt, 05/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - European Central Bank President Wim Duisenberg and the President of Publicis, Maurice Levy, signed on 4 April the contract for the Euro 2002 Information Campaign, which had been approved by the ECB Governing Council on 30 March 2000. The two-year campaign, for which a total of EUR 80 million have been budgeted, "will familiarise citizens of the euro area and beyond with the euro banknotes and coins, our money", states an ECB press release, which specifies that the main objectives are to help consumers to: - recognise the euro banknotes and coins and, in particular, their security features (action against counterfeiting plays an important role); - familiarise citizens with the different (and in many cases, new) denominations of the euro banknotes and coins.
The press release states that "special measures will be taken in the conduct of the campaign to meet the specific needs of the various groups of vulnerable citizens" in close coordination with the EU institutions and the Member States. It stresses that the strategy underpinning this campaign is based on cooperation with "multipliers" such as banks, retailers and their associations, as well as educational institutions and governmental authorities. In the first phase, which is about to start, the "multipliers" will be approached in order to enable them to prepare their own activities. In the second phase, during the second half of 2001, the public will be actively provided with information by means of a mass media campaign (television ads and widely distributed printed matter, supported by radio spots and both billboard and press advertisements).