Brussels, 25/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The January accounts of companies in the euro zone should "either be brought forward to the end of December, or postponed to mid-January", so as to prevent the changeover to the euro coinciding at a time when the retail trade is at its busiest, says the report drawn up by the Dutch Liberal Jules Maaten on preparing economic players for the changeover to the single currency, report that is to be discussed in plenary on 3 July.
Mr. Maaten, moreover, stresses that, contrary to the ECB, automatic distributors in all the countries of the euro zone should be so designed as to be able to provide the public at large with small denomination banknotes from 27 December. He also recommends the following concrete measures: - enable consumers to be able to buy, if they so wish, a set-up kit in euro, "initially to encourage the spread of coins in euro in economic circuits"; - extend to all countries of the euro zone "piggy-bank" operations (intended to allow people to pay savings made up of coins into bank accounts) "so as to preventively reduce the quantity of coins in circulation"; - round off, to the citizens' advantage, the amounts set at national administrative level (taxes, fines, social benefits); - target information campaigns on companies and local administrations firmly warning them of the costs that preparing for the change over to the euro would engender; - provide for tax incentives to encourage the retail sales sector to rapidly prepare for the changeover. Regarding hoarded money (large denomination banknotes impossible to locate), the rapporteur urges those who hold it to wait for mid-January before exchanging it, or to place it on an account earlier.