European Parliament marks 10th anniversary of the Euro

From Highlights and opening of Strasbourg 12-15 January 2009 plenary session - MEPs to vote on resolution on Gaza:

Parliament is marking the 10th anniversary of the Euro with a special debate in the plenary session, followed by a seminar with political leaders and leading economic journalists. The euro was created in 1999 when 11 countries irrevocably locked the bilateral exchange rates of their currencies and equipped themselves with a single monetary and exchange rate policy managed by the European Central Bank created six months earlier. Greece joined them in 2001 and in 2002 euro banknotes and coins were introduced. There are now 16 Member States which have adopted the euro as their national currency.  At 10am on Tuesday 13 January, Parliament's President, Hans-Gert Pöttering, will open a formal sitting, including speeches by European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, Eurogroup Chair Jean-Claude Juncker and Economic and Monetary Affairs Commission Joaquín Almunia.