Netherlands

This information will be updated periodically but it also includes some materials, for example the dual circulation periods, which are no longer relevant but have been retained for reference purposes. The date that this information was last updated is at the bottom of the page.

Netherlands Government euro web site:
www.euro.nl (Some English pages)

Pricing

Banking

Business Preparations

General Public

Information Activities

Other Links and Sources

Pricing

Consumer Prices
The following table shows the annual percentage change on the same month in the previous year.

Banking

	Banks in the Netherlands converted accounts at end 2001.
	Free of charge exchange of Netherlands guilders exchangeable for euros at retail banks until 1 April 2002, after that banks may charge before end of exchange period 31 December 2002. National central bank will exchange guilder coin until 1 January 2007 and guilder notes until 1 January 2032;

Central bank at:
www.dnb.nl

Business Preparations

The percentage of SMEs who had changed over to euro on 1 January 2002 for:

	accounting systems	97 per cent
	prices	97 per cent
	invoicing	99 per cent
	computer systems and IT	89 per cent

Overall SMEs considered that the changeover to the euro:

	had been easier or much easier than they planned	39 per cent
	proceeded as they planned	56 per cent
	had been more difficult than expected	5 per cent

21 per cent of SME's had encountered practical difficulties when changing over to the euro.

When converting prices from national currency to the euro the percentage of SMEs who had:

	converted prices some upwards and some downwards	19 per cent
	converted prices on a neutral basis	59 per cent
	converted prices upwards	14 per cent
	converted prices downwards	4 per cent

EB Eurobarometer Survey EB122

Small business organisation at www.mkb.nl (some English pages). Larger business organisations at: www.vno-ncw.nl (some English pages).

General Public

	99 per cent felt that the introduction of the euro went well or fairly well.
	90 per cent felt that the changeover to the euro went without any difficulties or with some temporary difficulties for them personally and 82 per cent for everyone.
	61 per cent said that they found it easy to remember prices in euro, 61 per cent compare prices in euro and 85 per cent to understand bills in euro.
	67 per cent thought that dual pricing of goods was essential or fairly useful.
	For dual pricing in shops:

	5 per cent thought that prices when converted to euro had either not been rounded or had been rounded down.
	When asked which organisations had helped the most.
	49 per cent thought the media
	31 per cent thought shops and other retailers
	33 per cent thought the banks
	8 per cent thought consumer or other representative groups
	19 per cent thought family and friends

Information Activities

Other Links and Sources

European Commission:
www.europa.eu.int/index_en.htm (all EU languages for most documents)

European Central Bank:
www.ecb.int (All EU languages for most documents)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Embassy site:
http://www.britain.nl

For information for travellers, including business travellers, click here to see the joint FCO/HMT/DTI Government leaflet "Euro notes and coins and how they will affect you" on this site.

Sources:

CBWS Central Bank website
www.dnb.nl
EB Eurobarometer survey E121 January 2002
http://europa.eu.int/euro/html/dossiers/00716/00716-en.pdf
HICP. Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices. Eurostat February 2002.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/
EB Special Eurobarometer 171- May 2002 http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/eb/ebs_171_tables_en.pdf