The European Parliament voted on its response to the ECB's annual report yesterday (Thu.), and among many other issues also recommended newly designed euro notes. From the press release:

MEPs said "the next generation of banknotes should feature real living beings, landscapes, European human undertakings or personalities, since the current neutral images are seen as giving a cold image of monetary integration."
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/.../default_en.htm

I don't think the plan has much of a chance at this stage. But who knows ...

Another issue addressed by the vote is the increasing number of €500 notes. The press release is available in the 20 official EU languages; just use the drop-down menu to select your preferred language.

Christian

Let the politics and the nationalism arise and kill the project.

Keep in mind that this is the same European Parliament that suggested to introduce €1 notes. Nah, I don't think the suggestion has much of a chance. Back in the mid-90s there were plans to build some country specific elements into the notes, like what we did with the coins. That might have been a way to get "real people" on the notes. Oh well, did not happen - and frankly I don't really dislike the current designs.

From what I know about the "next generation" of euro notes, the ECB wants to continue using the current designs and just add some security features. Guess there will also be minor design modifications, such as adding Cyprus to the map, or Cyrillic characters for the currency name. But that's pretty much it.

Maybe in a couple of years or decades we will reach the point where putting, say, Mozart or Molière on a coin or note does not result in complaints like "eeek, why those 'foreigners' and not our Dante or Rembrandt?" Maybe. Until then, bridges and arches are just fine ...

Christian