17.11.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 307/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC, ECSC, EURATOM) No 2458/98 of 12 November 1998 amending Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 laying down the Staff Regulations of officials and the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities and the other Regulations applicable to them with regard to the establishment of remuneration, pensions and other financial en- titlements in euros THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing a single Council and a single Commission of the European Communities, and in particular Article 24(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, submitted following the opinion of the Staff Regulations Committee ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Court of Justice (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Court of Auditors (*), Whereas the euro will be the currency of the Member States adopting the euro as from 1 January 1999 (%) whereas the monetary unit is the euro; whereas one euro will be divided into one hundred cents; whereas for a transitional period the euro will also be divided into national currency units (°); Whereas, in the Member States which have adopted the euro, the remuneration, pensions and other financial en- titlements of officials and other servants of the Com- munities should be established in euros as from 1 January 1999; Whereas the purchasing power of these financial entitle- ments must not be affected by this amending Regulation; () OJ C 192, 19. 6. 1998, p. 7. () OJ C 313, 12. 10. 1998. () Opinion delivered on 15 September 1998. (Y) Opinion delivered on 16/17 September 1998. (°) Council Regulation (EC) No 974/98 of 3 May 1998 on the introduction of the euro (OJ C 139, 11. 5. 1998, p. 1). (®) Council Regulation (EC) No 1103/97 of 17 June 1997 on certain provisions relating to the introduction of the euro (O] L 162, 19. 6. 1997, p. 1). Whereas it is accordingly necessary to amend Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 (), HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 In the Staff Regulations of officials and the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities and the other Regulations applicable to them the term ‘Belgian francs’ is replaced by the term ‘euros’ and amounts expressed in Belgian francs are replaced by their equivalent in euro units at the conver- sion rate laid down by the Council. The rules relating to the rounding of amounts laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 1103/97 shall apply. Article 2 In Article 16(1) of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations, ‘Belgian franc’ is replaced by ‘cent’. Article 3 For conversion of the basic monthly salaries set out in Article 66 of the Staff Regulations and Article 63 of the conditions of employment of other servants, the first step and the difference between the first and second steps of each grade shall be calculated by straight application of the conversion rate laid down by the Council. The other steps shall be obtained by adding this difference to the preceding step. () OJ L 56, 4.3.1968, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC, ECSC, Euratom) No 781/98 (OJ L 113, 15. 4. 1998, p. 4).