The European Central Bank (ECB) this week launched a public contest for the design of future euro banknotes, marking the next step in the euro banknote redesign process.

According to an official announcement, the ECB’s governing council has already chosen two possible themes for the new euro banknotes after consulting experts and the public.

These themes are European culture, focusing on shared cultural spaces and important Europeans, and rivers and birds, which highlights the resilience and diversity of Europe’s natural ecosystems.

In January, the governing council also selected motifs to illustrate both possible themes.

The design contest, open to graphic designers residing in the European Union, aims to find the best design proposals for the future euro banknotes.

The contest will proceed in two phases, an application phase and a design proposal phase.

During the application phase, designers must meet specific requirements listed in the contest notice.

Applicants will be assessed based on their qualifications and achievements.

Selected designers will be invited to participate in the second phase and submit their design proposals.

A group of independent experts called the Design Contest Jury will evaluate the proposals and select up to five per theme.

“The euro is more than a currency – it symbolises European unity and diversity,” said ECB President Christine Lagarde

Through this contest, we invite designers across Europe to shape the future of our banknotes to reflect our shared cultural identity and natural heritage,” she added.

After the contest concludes, the public will be invited to provide feedback on the selected designs.

The governing council is expected to decide on the final design by the end of 2026.

The new banknotes will be ready to enter circulation some years after this decision and following the production process.

For detailed information about the contest, please refer to the ECB’s website and the Official Journal of the European Union.

Designers interested in participating are invited to submit their applications by 12:00 CET on August 18, 2025.