This review presents the results of the Commission's quarterly survey of banks to determine the extent to which bank customers use the euro in their accounts and payments. It also sets out the data sent by national administrations and summarises various studies. Even though the use of the euro remains limited, it is worth highlighting that :

• the new data available in some Member States show that use of the euro in relations with public administrations is growing sharply in the case of both VAT returns and customs declarations. The most striking example is that of the French duty on petroleum products, most of which is now paid in euros;
• national payments made by firms in euros are very slightly up (from 7.3% to 7.8%). Almost 33% of international payments are in euros (43% in value). Luxembourg and Belgium are still the only countries where a large number of companies have switched to euro accounting: everywhere else the figures are less than 5%. The proportion of euro accounts is rising significantly, from 4.8% to almost 8%, with the situation from one country to another remaining very variable (the proportion ranges from 0.6% in Ireland to 27.4% in France. The pace at which new euro accounts are being opened is picking up and for the whole area is now more than one in every five accounts;
• payments in euros by individuals have risen slightly from 1.4 % to 1.9% in volume and from 6.2% to 8.8% in value. The proportion of private individuals' euro accounts is also growing and now stands at 3.2%, the maximum being 41.4% in Luxembourg, where the early switching of accounts has begun. An average of slightly over 70% of electronic payment terminals are technically able to accept euro operations (the proportion ranges from 0% in the Netherlands, Ireland and Austria to 100% in Belgium).