Eva Srejber: Experiences from the cash changeover in the euro area Speech by Ms Eva Srejber, Second Deputy Governor of Sveriges Riksbank, at a meeting of the Swedish Federation of Trade, Stockholm, 9 April 2002. *  *  *  Let me begin by thanking you for the invitation to come to the Swedish Federation of Trade's meeting to speak about the cash changeover that has taken place in the twelve countries now participating fully in the third stage of EMU. The changeover from national banknotes and coins to euro has gone much more quickly and been more problem-free than expected and now the euro is an established currency in the countries concerned. The cash changeover was a major challenge for these countries, as the volumes were so extensive and the time period for the changeover was relatively short. Almost 15 billion euro banknotes and 50 billion euro coins were to be distributed, and at the same time all of the national banknotes and coins were to be withdrawn to the central banks. The logistics and security for the changeover therefore had to be specially designed and extra capacity was required. However, the most important factor in making the changeover a success was the enthusiasm of the general public and the naturalness demonstrated by banks, the retail trade and other institutions handling cash when carrying out their work.
Bank lending to business has risen more sharply in France than anywhere else in Europe: up 4.5% in annual terms at end-November 2015, compared with a rise of 1% in Germany, and 0% in Italy. Moreover, interest rates in France are among the lowest in Europe. Interest rates on new bank lending are currently below 2% on average, compared to 5% in 2007. However, I would like to stress the fact that access to cash loans is more difficult for very small enterprises. Their fragile financial position may be one reason; but there is an ongoing misunderstanding with the banks that the latter must seriously address. French households’ savings must also adjust to the low interest rate environment. This is an opportunity to encourage more “risky” and more long-term investments, both in the interest of investors themselves and of our economy. Today only 31% of French households’ financial investments are made up of risky assets, against 45% in the euro area. This requires taking action in two directions. First, the decrease in interest rates should be gradually passed on to risk-free investment returns – this is why I proposed lowering the rate on the PEL, the French housing savings plan, this is also why we must resolutely continue to lower the returns on life insurance invested in euro funds. Second, new products should be developed: probably less liquid, with or without a capital protection over the long term, and possibly offering the best equity performance over time.