Congratulations!!! The greek coin has won!!

The winning design of the new euro coin! EU citizens and residents have now selected the winning design of the new commemorative euro coin celebrating 10 years of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the creation of the euro.
Commemorative coins bearing this design will be issued by all euro-area Member States, starting in January 2009.
The design symbolises that the euro is the latest step in the long history of trade, from pre-historic barter – evoked by the deliberately primitive design – to Economic and Monetary Union.
The vote on the coin design
Voting was open to all citizens or residents of the European Union and took place between 31 January and 22 February 2008. Voters could choose between 5 designs pre-selected by European Mint Directors. 141 675 participated in the vote. The winning design received 41.48% of the votes.
>> See the results
The winning design was created by Mr George Stamatopoulos who is a sculptor at the Bank of Greece. Commemorative coins bearing this design will be issued by all euro-area Member States, starting in January 2009.

Welcome note!

Dear spring semester students,
first of all I would like to welcome you to my course, hoping that by the end of the term you will have learned some interesting things about the European Union, which whether we like it or not is part of our lives, or let me put it better...we are part of its life!
Also allow me to apologise for not having updated my blog for a long time, due to two extremely demanding previous weeks!
Let me remind you that in this blog you can view fresh news coming from the EU and interesting announcements about our course. You can always express an opinion by clicking the comment button and of course suggest further links or make other suggestions about the course.
Since we have already missed two sessions, and probably there will also be others, I think that there is no sense holdind a mid-term exam, as the total of sessions to be completed will not be more than 7 (practice and theory sessions).
Should you have any queries, you can always send me an email.

Farewell message

Dear students,
I would like to congratulate those who passed the exam and wish you good luck with the rest of your studies. It has been a quite creative semester for me and I hope you have at least learned some things that might prove useful in the future.

Choose the design of the new euro coin!!!

All euro-area countries will issue a commemorative 2-euro coin with a common design at the beginning of 2009 to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the launch of EMU and of the creation of the euro.

The design is chosen by EU citizens and residents by voting on the specific web site set up for this purpose. Voting is open between 31 January and 22 February 2008.

On 1 January 1999 the euro became the currency of the eleven original participating countries and a single monetary policy was introduced under the authority of the European Central Bank (ECB). National banknotes and coins continued to exist as sub-divisions of the euro until they were physically replaced by euro banknotes and coins in 2002. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is the political and economic framework that supports the euro and complements the EU's single market. EMU has provided low inflation and interest rates to the benefit of consumers and companies and encouraged sound and sustainable public finances. The single currency has abolished exchange costs and facilitated trade and price comparisons within the 15 countries that currently make up the euro area.

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the launch of EMU and of the creation of the euro, all euro-area countries will issue a commemorative 2-euro coin with a common design at the beginning of 2009. On the basis of a design competition between the Mints of the euro area followed by a pre-selection of designs by the Mint Directors, the winning design is chosen exclusively by EU citizens and residents by voting on the specific web site set up for this purpose. The design that receives the highest number of votes will be selected as the winner. One winner will be chosen among those having voted for the winning design. The prize will be a set of high-value euro collector coins.

The winning design will be announced on 25 February 2008.

In order to vote, visit http://www.eurodesigncontest.eu/index.cfm?lang=en (the Greek coin is second on the left side). Good luck to HELLAS!!!!

Exam news!

Dear students,

I would like to apologise for not having sent you emails with your exam grades earlier, but it's been a very busy period lately...
I have already emailed most of you (those who have provided me with an email address), so congratulations to those who passed the exam. As for the students who failed, I will be expecting you next Monday (same time), so take some time to revise your exam notes!