European Central Bank selects motifs for two candidate themes for future euro banknotes ahead of 2025 design contest

The Governing Council of the European Central Bank has shortlisted motifs for a future series of euro banknotes under two possible themes, “European culture: shared cultural spaces” and “Rivers and birds: resilience in diversity”, setting the direction for the next stage of the redesign process. The shortlist reflects input from multidisciplinary advisory groups and public engagement, including preferences expressed by more than 365,000 respondents in summer 2023 surveys and earlier focus groups. Under the “European culture” theme, the motifs pair cultural spaces and activities with prominent Europeans across the denominations (€5 Maria Callas, €10 Ludwig van Beethoven, €20 Marie Curie, €50 Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, €100 Leonardo da Vinci, €200 Bertha von Suttner). Under “Rivers and birds”, each denomination combines a river landscape stage with a bird species on the front, complemented by European institutions on the reverse (European Parliament, European Commission, European Central Bank, Court of Justice of the European Union, European Council and Council of the European Union, European Court of Auditors). In 2025 the ECB will establish a jury and launch a design contest open to designers across the European Union. In 2026 the public will be asked to indicate design preferences based on a shortlist, with the Governing Council expected to take the final decision on designs in 2026; the first new banknotes are expected to enter circulation some years after that decision and the subsequent production process.