Brussels, 13/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - According to the latest "Eurobarometer" survey conducted between 19 and 28 October and made public on Monday, there are now only 6% of European citizens who are mistaken about or ignore the date at which euro coins and banknotes will be introduced, against 46% in September 2000. Furthermore, it emerges from this survey that 68% of those questioned consider themselves "well informed" or "very well informed" on the euro, an increase of 5% on September of this year. The public's only Achilles Heel is said to be the period of legal dual circulation of the currencies in the euro zone (43% of those asked still overestimate the time of adaptation left to them, and 12% are completely unaware of the problem), even though there does seem to be progress in this field: 30% of the public know the exact duration of this period, and 15% underestimate the period, meaning that 45% of citizens will not be caught out when the time comes, whereas that figure was 20% in March.
All the indicators also show that the Europeans concerned are continuing to prepare in a concrete fashion for the arrival of the euro, "even though certain changes are slow in occurring", we read in the survey. Thus, 70% of respondents know the right value of the euro to the nearest eurocent (against 53% in January 2001, 60% in March, 61% in May, 62% in July, 68% in September. Memorising prices in euro is an exercise that 37% of those questioned are said to do, against 27% in March 2001 and 30% in June/July. 32% of those questioned declared they had already used the euro in book transactions (in accounts), or 9% more than in May of this year.
Concerning the period of the changeover of currencies, 69% of respondents said they feared possible abuses and cheating on prices and would like a code of conduct introduced in the form of a logo certifying price conformity. Also worth noting, for the first time those who believe that the euro will have more advantages for them than inconveniences represent over 50% (51%), against 39% who believe the contrary (and 11% who "don't know").
Commenting on the results of the survey, Commissioner Pedro Solbes considered that the endorsement of the Heads of State and Government of the Commission's report on the euro changeover "has helped to increase awareness and inject dynamism in the preparations across the euro area". According to him, the "results of three years of meticulous preparations are becoming visible, but there is no time to lose!" Member States and all the actors involved in the preparations have to make a "last effort to ensure that every single citizen masters the basic information about the euro notes and coins ahead of the 1 January 2002 historical date".