Euro notes and coins are being used for nearly two-thirds of cash payments within a week of being introduced and their first weekend in circulation did not cause shoppers major problems, the European Commission said today.
There are also no signs the transition to the new currency is leading to any generalised increase in prices, a Commission spokesman said.
The weekend had been seen as a key test for how painlessly a dozen European countries could make the transition to the new currency since the volume of business done on Saturdays is typically more than all the other days of the week put together.
Although minor problems cropped up linked to the availability of small denomination euro banknotes and certain denominations of coins, Saturday passed without major problems.
"At the end of this crucial day, it would appear that, overall, queues in shops, and in large stores too, were still no longer than usual," the Commission said in a statement. It said the availability of some coins and small-denomination banknotes would be resolved early this week.
A Commission official said no serious forgeries had yet emerged.