Editing Euro (section)

== History ==
The euro was introduced on 1 January 1999 as a non-cash currency. It was used for accounting, electronic payments, financial markets, and official monetary purposes. During this period, the former national currencies of the first participating states remained in physical circulation, while their exchange rates against the euro were fixed.

Euro banknotes and coins entered circulation on 1 January 2002. They replaced the former national cash currencies of the participating states after the cash changeover. The euro then became the everyday currency used by households, businesses, banks, public offices, and transport systems in the euro area.

The euro area expanded after its original introduction. [[Greece]] joined in 2001. Later accessions included [[Slovenia]], [[Cyprus]], [[Malta]], [[Slovakia]], [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Croatia]], and [[Bulgaria]]. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 and became the twenty-first participating European state using the currency.