The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank of the European Union countries which have adopted the euro. Our main task is to maintain price stability in the euro area and so preserve the purchasing power of the single currency.
* Designers from across Europe invited to apply, starting 15 July 2025
* Application platform open until 18 August 2025
* Governing Council’s decision on final design expected by end of 2026 following a public survey

The European Central Bank (ECB) today launched a public contest for the design of future euro banknotes – the next step in the euro banknote redesign process. The ECB’s Governing Council has already selected two possible themes for the future euro banknotes after consulting experts and the public. These are: “European culture”, focusing on shared cultural spaces and important Europeans; and “Rivers and birds”, focusing on the resilience and diversity of Europe’s natural ecosystems. In January the Governing Council also selected motifs to illustrate the two possible themes.

The design contest, which is open to graphic designers residing in the European Union, aims to identify the best design proposals for the future euro banknotes. The contest will proceed in two phases: an application phase and a design proposal phase. During the application phase, designers must meet the specific requirements listed in the contest notice. The applicants will be assessed on the basis of their qualifications and achievements. Selected designers will be invited to participate in the second phase and submit their design proposals. A group of independent experts – the Design Contest Jury – will evaluate the proposals and select up to five per theme.

“The euro is more than a currency – it symbolises European unity and diversity. Through this contest, we invite designers across Europe to shape the future of our banknotes to reflect our shared cultural identity and natural heritage,” said ECB President Christine Lagarde.

After the contest finishes, the public will be invited to provide feedback on the designs selected. The Governing Council is expected to decide on the final design by the end of 2026. The new banknotes will be ready to enter circulation some years after this decision and following the production process. For detailed information about the contest, please refer to the ECB’s website and the Official Journal of the European Union. Designers interested in participating are invited to submit their application by 12:00 CET on 18 August.

  • CosmoNova@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    9 hours ago

    Printing birds and rivers on bank notes while European nations keep missing climate targets and burn down the planet in the name of capitalism would be almost as cynical as Mao‘s face on the Chinese currency.

      • latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        9 hours ago

        Yes, I wanted to really bring out the simultaneous artificiality and humanity of the money. The money is unruly and spoilt, it has become wilful and uncontrolled, but the money is like our collective child, a product of the human mind, so it is part of us. I want people to say “oh, this is just like my spleen, or my tooth, or my impacted toenail, it is part of my being, but it does not control me,” you see.

    • Don Antonio Magino@feddit.nlEnglish
      2·
      20 hours ago

      This is a great safety feature! Instead of printing the bills, have them all be drawn by hand one after another by you! I hope you like repetitive work.

      • latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        19 hours ago

        12 years in QA, babyyy (please aim for my amygdala…)!

        Edit: also, my standard rate is €1.5 per simple piece, €2 if you want squiggles.

  • aard@kyu.deEnglish
    23·
    11 hours ago

    Seems pretty much all current AI models are not familiar with the works of Tom of Finland. Took a lot of kicking to get even remotely close to what I wanted.