EMBARGO
Transmission embargo until 12 CET on Thursday, 1 January 2015
- Lithuania starts using the euro
- Lietuvos bankas becomes a member of the Eurosystem
- Lithuania also joins ECB banking supervision under the Single Supervisory Mechanism
The euro entered circulation in Lithuania today, bringing the number of European Union (EU) Member States using the single European currency to 19, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced.
“On behalf of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank, I welcome this further enlargement of the euro area. Lithuania has taken exceptional measures in difficult times to reach its goal of joining the single currency,” Mario Draghi, President of the ECB, said.
Lietuvos bankas, the national central bank of Lithuania, becomes a member of the Eurosystem, the central banking system of the euro area, which comprises the ECB and 19 national central banks. Lithuania also joins the Single