Enhanced security features were introduced with the issuance of the new Europa series of euro banknotes. This is to keep ahead of counterfeiters, and the banknotes are also more durable than the first series. Placing explosives around ATMs is a bolder example of an external attack that tends to receive considerable public attention.
The scope for flexibility agreed by European and national regulatory and supervisory authorities further facilitated banks’ action during the crisis. The ample liquidity of banks, facilitated by exceptionally expansive monetary policy, also allowed them to support the economy, both in the most difficult months, during the initial acute phase of the pandemic, and when the recovery finally began.