The European Union is reportedly considering a major redesign of euro banknotes, with two competing concepts under evaluation. According to Swedish media reports citing Euractiv, the current architectural theme that has adorned euro notes since their 2002 introduction may soon be replaced.
Two final alternatives are reportedly being considered: either six European cultural and scientific figures, including Marie Curie and Ludwig van Beethoven, or six different European bird species. The current banknotes feature fictional bridges that were designed to avoid favoring any particular EU country.
The redesign would impact the Dutch town of Spijkenisse near Rotterdam, which built miniature versions of the fictional bridges as a tourist attraction. A decision on the new designs is expected to be made around the turn of the year, according to the reports.