To commemorate the launch of the Euro 20 years ago, the European Parliament hosts a ceremony, opened by Antonio TAJANI, EP President and followed by speeches Jean-Claude TRICHET, former President of the European Central Bank, Mario DRAGHI, President of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Mário CENTENO, President of the Eurogroup, and Roberto GUALTIERI. . There will also be an exhibition on the Euro within the premises of the European Parliament.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

Strasbourg

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

GUALTIERI, Roberto (S&D, IT)

ceremony

DRAGHI, Mario (IT)

TRICHET, Jean-Claude (FR)

CENTENO, Mário (PT)

single currency (T)

20th Anniversary of the Euro: extracts from the ceremony

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/19898368/I166349Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Today we are celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the introduction of our single currency. The euro is used by 340 million EU citizens and is the world&rsquo;s second most important currency.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude TRICHET, former President of the European Central Bank, Euro has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to maintain itself in the worst international circumstances.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mario DRAGHI, President of the European Central Bank, Euro has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to maintain itself in the worst international circumstances. The single currency has given to all members of the euro area their monetary policy sovereignty, comparing to the pre-existing monetary arrangements. It is together that we have a voice - and we had a voice - in the regulation of international financial markets.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, I still regret this lack of solidarity that appeared during what we called the Greek crises. We did not show enough solidarity with Greece, we&rsquo;ve insulted and covered Greece with invectives at the time. Today I am happy to see that Greece, Portugal and other countries have regained their place among the old European democracies.

SOUNDBITE (English), M&#225;rio CENTENO, President of the Eurogroup, We can never repeat too much that the Euro is not - it never was - an end in itself. It is a tool, intended to increase the prosperity of the people of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberto GUALTIERI, ECON president , If we want to achieve pour ambitious goals, resilience is not enough. We need to complement our common currency with a robust democratic, economic and social union.

Archive historic material of the Euro-launching in Brussels (9 shots) 