EuroBillTracker

diogocanilho wrote:

Dakkus wrote: I have seen many ATMs dispensing Estonian Crowns in Estonia

I wonder when Estonia will join the Euroland...

For what I know, it's quite likely to happen in 2010. That'll be a joyeous day to all Finnish trackers

Estonia wants to join already in 2008 but 2009 or even 2010 are more likely.

The expected dates for the other EU countries are:

Bulgaria: 2012
Denmark: nothing planned
Estonia: planned for 2008, more likely 2009
Great Britain: a referendum is planned as soon as there are economic advantages by using the Euro
Latvia: planned for 2009, more likely 2010
Lithuania: 2009 or 2010
Malta: 2008 likely
Poland: 2011 planned, more likely 2012 or later
Romania: between 2010 and 2012
Sweden: no new referendum planned before 2013
Slovakia: most likely 2009
Czech Republic: not before 2012
Hungary: officially planned for 2010, not likely before 2013
Cyprus: 2008 likely

So we might get in next year up to 3 new Euro countries (Estonia, Malta, Cyprus) and 3 more in 2009 (Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia). It is very likely that (some of) these dates will change but it is also very likely that there will be new member countries every year from now on.

If I am wrong with some of the dates please correct me, I did not do any in-depth research and just used what I found on the web.

Cobbdouglas wrote: The expected dates for the other EU countries are:

After that amazing day that was 1st Jannuary 2002, I´m still amazed by the changes in our Europe. Who knew that all of those countries could someday use the Euro
Does anyone remember how were life before euro?

diogocanilho wrote: Does anyone remember how were life before euro?

Yes, a lot cheaper. .

diogocanilho wrote:Does anyone remember how were life before euro?

Well I disagree with Smike.

I remember that my wife was living in Paris and I was working in Brussels.

During two years, I had to switch regularly between Belgian and French francs...

Our relationship would have been easier with the euro... (And it's still great, by the way... )

diogocanilho wrote: Does anyone remember how were life before euro?

Wasn't that the time that winters we're cold ?

I might be a bit old, but I remember the time that I hardly could use ATM's abroad. In 1991 I cycled from Holland to Liechtenstein, and could only use some ATM's in Belgium and France.
Nowadays I hardly know countries without ATM's (Transnistria might be the only one..... and in 2004 there we're only a few US-dollar ATM's in Uzbekistan)

Smike wrote:

diogocanilho wrote: Does anyone remember how were life before euro?

Yes, a lot cheaper. .

I don't know about the other areas, but actually the prices got cheaper, unless you're one of those who always follow advertisements.
For example many Finnish prices went up very fast, but then competitors came from abroad and began selling the same stuff for the price it used to be sold before the euro - and often even a bit cheaper. So, you now have to pay 1,80€ for the bar of Fazer chocolate that used to cost 1,30€ in 2001. But then again, now you can buy excellent Belgian chocolate from half of the Finnish shops for 1,20€ (the same amount). The Belgian chocolate is both better and cheaper than what was sold here before the euro. Me and most of my friends have already completely done the transition between the labels
This wouldn't have been possible without the euro.

In Slovenia the services went up a bit, but nothing alarming. I think that people tend to think about the past positively, hence Euro is guilty for all the troubles.

Smike wrote:

diogocanilho wrote: Does anyone remember how were life before euro?

Yes, a lot cheaper. .

Yes, I agree, life was cheaper, indeed.

In Side (Turkey) you can get euro notes on the market square near to the harbour. Very useful...

Smike wrote:

diogocanilho wrote: Does anyone remember how were life before euro?

Yes, a lot cheaper. .

Well, when withdrawing money from an ATM you always had to pay some currency exchange rates.
At least for me, any Euro-atm within the euro zone is for free. But Euro-atms outside the euro zone could cost a little. Once I got euros from an atm at Gardermoen airport (Olso, Norway). I had to pay a few euros for it, probably because the currency exchange rates were counted twice, first from EUR to NOK, and then back to EUR....
But I don't care about a few euros in this case, I was on holidays anyway, so a few euros don't matter in my opinion after spending big money during a holiday abroad (if you know what I mean )

Cobbdouglas wrote:
Great Britain: a referendum is planned as soon as there are economic advantages by using the Euro

Cobbdouglas wrote:So we might get in next year up to 3 new Euro countries (Estonia, Malta, Cyprus) and 3 more in 2009 (Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia).

Agreed as far as Cyprus and Malta are concerned. Both may not meet the public debt criterion - max. 60% of the GDP - but that is kind of flexible anyway. (Inflation could be an issue; think of Lithuania last year.) Slovakia might follow in 2009 - and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ... well, 2010 maybe.

Why would you want to list Denmark and the UK? They don't have anything to do with the currency union. And those countries that basically do but are not, or not yet, in ERM II (Bulgaria, Czech Rep., Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden) I would leave out as well. After all, a country that joins ERM-II today would have to wait until at least early Feb 2009 anyway. A lot of time between now and then.

Christian

tabbs wrote: Agreed as far as Cyprus and Malta are concerned. Both may not meet the public debt criterion - max. 60% of the GDP - but that is kind of flexible anyway. (Inflation could be an issue; think of Lithuania last year.) Slovakia might follow in 2009 - and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ... well, 2010 maybe.

I know that it is not likely that all of the listed countries will join in 2008/2009, I only indicated the earliest possible date. All in all it's very likely that there will be some new member countries every year and also that it will take up to 10 more years before the Eurozone is (for the moment) "complete".

tabbs wrote: Why would you want to list Denmark and the UK? They don't have anything to do with the currency union. And those countries that basically do but are not, or not yet, in ERM II (Bulgaria, Czech Rep., Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden) I would leave out as well. After all, a country that joins ERM-II today would have to wait until at least early Feb 2009 anyway. A lot of time between now and then.

Denmark and the UK don't have to join the Euro but they could in the future. I just listed all EU countries to give an short overview and also mentioned that there are no plans to join at the moment.

And yes, some countries are not likely to join soon but I think that the information that they won't join soon is also worth mentioning.

So, all in all: Malta, Cyprus, Slovakia and the Baltic countries are likely to join within the next 3 years (some of them maybe already 2008), the 5 remaining new member countries are not likely to join before 2010, Sweden is a big questionmark, even more Denmark and the UK. BUT it is not impossible that all of these countries will join one day.

lazza wrote:I have seen Euro and USD ATMs at UK airports, but not up here in Newcastle, as far as I know.

Here we are a picture of these ATMs taken yesterday at Heathrow airport (Terminal 1)