WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3988/97 by Georges BERTHU to the Council. Euro bank notes - distinctive national symbols
16. 6. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 187/107 (98/C 187/162) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3988/97 by Georges Berthu (I-EDN) to the Council (15 January 1998) Subject: Euro bank notes › distinctive national symbols On 3 December 1996 the EMI Council decided that the future euro bank notes were not to bear any distinctive national symbols. Can the Council explain the substantive reasons why this solution was adopted for bank notes and the apparently opposite reasons which led it to impose the opposite solution for coins? (98/C 187/163) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3989/97 by Georges Berthu (I-EDN) to the Council (15 January 1998) Subject: Euro bank notes › distinctive national symbols On 3 December 1996 the EMI Council decided that the future euro bank notes should not bear any distinctive national symbols. This position, which is supposed to have been adopted in accordance with Article 109f(3) of the Treaty, is presented sometimes as definitive and sometimes as provisional. According to the latter hypothesis, it is argued that according to Article 105a(1), the European Central Bank (ECB) has the exclusive right to authorize the issue of bank notes within the Community. The ECB would therefore, when it has been set up, need to confirm the EMI decision. However, this interpretation of Article 105a(1) is deemed by many to be too extensive since it amounts to including in áthe issue of bank notesí, which relates to monetary policy, the question of distinctive national symbols, which is a profoundly different matter. Does not the Council agree that such an interpretation would be too extensive? Furthermore, would it not amount to having a serious matter of principle decided by a non-democratic body, viz. the ECB? (98/C 187/164) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3990/97 by Georges Berthu (I-EDN) to the Council (15 January 1998) Subject: Euro bank notes › distinctive national symbols On 3 December 1996 the EMI Council decided that the future euro bank notes should not bear any distinctive national symbols. If it is true that this matter falls well outside the task of átechnical preparation of ECU bank notesí (Article 109f(3)), and if it is also true that it is quite distinct from the monetary concept of áthe issue of bank notesí (Article 105a(1)), does the Council not agree that it would be appropriate to find another legal basis for it? Might it not be argued that this decision falls under Article 109l(4), which provides that áthe Council shall. also take the other measures necessary for the rapid introduction of the ECU (Euro) as the single currency of (the) Member Statesí? Indeed, would this not be the only interpretation which would make it possible to preserve Member Statesí control over an eminently political decision? Joint answer to Written Questions E-3986/97, E-3987/97, E-3988/97, E-3989/97 and E-3990/97 (19 March 1998) It ensues from the allocation of powers provided for under the Treaty that the European Central Bank alone is empowered to authorize the issue of banknotes in euro, also as regards aspects relating to their presentation (Article 105(a) of the Treaty and Article 16 of the Protocol to the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank)