Cyprus-Forum.com

[miltiades]

We joined Europe , lets join the Euro , it has worked well for the participating 15 or so countries and has stopped banks ripping people off especially so in the UK where the spread - difference between buying and selling - is more than 10 % . The Euro has now been firmly established as the currency of Europe and in many respects stronger and more stable than the US $ .
In the UK the main obstacle is not the financial implications but the mentality that says we should retain our pound regardless , we do not want to surrender our sovereignty ??? We surrendered our sovereignty to the rest of the world years ago , for crying out loud we do not have any more sovereignty to surrender.

The UK will be the last to join the EURO , if indeed it ever does , people can not see how easier it would be for both business , which already transact with their European partners in Euros , and for travellers who will save all those charges levied by the greedy banks. But is part of the English heritage and people are reluctant to see the pound disappear.

[astroboy]

I see a good thing, knowing that currency (and pricing) is universal to all european countries.. I think its gonna be really confusing to switch from CYP to EURO but... i guess its inevitable..

[souroul]

joining a very powerful currency cant possibly be a bad thing. for one thing its going to be stable. in the steps of the euro becoming a second international currency, the cost of living will eventually drop. in such a small and volatile economy, we are backed up by europe in the case of a recession, and dragged down in the event of a boom. its got its ups and downs.

[theresa]

Raymanuva, I went to Corfu the same year the currency changed and everyone was unhappy except the shop keepers! You are right, everything was "rounded up" and one local complained that some of the tinned stock was so old it had gone rusty- and the shopkeeper still put the price up EVERY 6mths!!! I think the convenience of the euro (all countries having it) is outweighed by the loss of national currencies - no more we will have the joy of getting ripped off 'cos we dont understand the money - like me when I paid over a £100 quid in francs at a market in France for ONE cheaply made sun dress that was the equivilent of £3 !!!! - All good clean fun!!
Tess

[Sotos]

theresa, when you go to a foreign country you should learn the currency. All you have to do is a multiplication or division with one number to get to your own currency. I don't think it is that hard to remember one number and make some simple maths