ECB confirms €200 and €500 notes will remain in circulation
News reports in some countries claiming that Europol or the European authorities have decided that the €500 and €200 banknotes will be withdrawn from circulation are false. The €200 and €500 notes will continue to circulate and can be exchanged at any time at any national central bank in the euro area. The announcement was made by European Central Bank communicators.
"The European Central Bank (ECB) and the national central banks of the euro area are responsible for issuing euro banknotes. The €200 banknote remains in production and circulation and is legal tender in the euro area. The ECB decided in 2016 to discontinue the production and issuance of €500 banknotes, but the €500 banknote remains legal tender and can be used as a means of payment in the euro area. All euro banknotes can be exchanged at any time at any national central bank in the euro area," an ECB press release said.
At the same time, National Bank of Moldova spokesman Pavel Maftei told Radop Moldova that there is no official decision of the European Central Bank on the withdrawal of the 200 and 500 euro banknotes from circulation, and this decision is not found on the website of the institution that administers the monetary policy of European countries. According to Maftei, the European Central Bank has stopped printing the 500 euro banknote, but it has not been withdrawn from circulation.
"As soon as the European Central Bank makes a decision on this issue, if certain banknotes will be taken out of circulation, the National Bank of Moldova will issue a press release and inform the citizens," the NBM communicator added.
The publications in Moldova and Romania have previously written two banknotes that will be taken out of circulation, referring to Europol, a European-wide anti-crime organisation.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
