The current theme on euro banknotes is “ages and styles” and the main motifs illustrating them are windows, doors and bridges inspired by architectural styles from different periods in European history. This is set to change in a few years’ time, as the European Central Bank (ECB) and the national central banks of the eurozone have decided to revamp euro banknotes and have launched a competition for EU-based graphic designers to submit their ideas.
The competition consists of two phases: an application phase that ends very soon on 18 August, followed by a design proposal phase. During the first phase, designers must meet these requirements. Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of their qualifications and achievements and those selected will be invited to participate in the second phase by submitting their final design proposals. The judging panel for this competition will be composed of independent experts, who will evaluate the design proposals and choose a maximum of five per topic.
The ECB’s governing council is expected to decide on the final designs before the end of 2026, following a public survey to gauge the opinions of European citizens. However, it will take several years for the new banknotes to enter circulation once the manufacturing process is complete.
With these new designs, the ECB aims to prevent counterfeiting. It has also committed to reducing the environmental impact of banknotes throughout their life cycle and to making them more representative and inclusive of Europeans of all ages and backgrounds, including vulnerable groups such as people with visual impairments.
Motifs and themes
The ECB has selected the motifs and themes that competition entrants must use to create their designs. The two themes selected are “European culture: shared cultural spaces” and “Rivers and birds: resilience in diversity”, while the motifs are as follows: