This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ROME 001059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA 
DEPT PASS TREAS FOR OASIA HARLOW, JONES 
STATE PASS FRB FOR GUST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN EFIN EFIN EFIN IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF
SUBJECT:  THE EURO CHANGEOVER IN ITALY 
 
REF: (A) 2002 MILAN 14 (B) 01 ROME 6222; (C) 01 MILAN 
 
728 AND OTHERS 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: ITALYS TRANSITION TO THE EURO WENT 
SMOOTHLY, WITH A FEW SNAGS  PRINCIPALLY IN THE SOUTH. 
ITALIANS STOPPED USING LIRE ON FEBRUARY 28, ALTHOUGH 
BANKS, AT THE REQUEST OF THE BANK OF ITALY, HAVE 
EXTENDED THE DEADLINE FOR EXCHANGING LIRE FOR EUROS 
UNTIL JUNE 30. OPINIONS ARE MIXED ABOUT THE 
INFLATIONARY IMPACT OF THE CHANGEOVER. OFFICIAL DATA 
SHOW A MODEST IMPACT, WHILE CONSUMER ASSOCIATIONS 
ARGUE THAT THE INFLATIONARY EFFECT WAS FAR HIGHER, BUT 
T 
NOT CAPTURED BY OFFICIAL STATISTICS. ITALYS FIRST 
COUNTERFEIT EUROS HAVE BEEN FOUND. END SUMMARY. 
 
A LONG CHANGEOVER 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  THE ITALIAN EURO CHANGEOVER PERIOD WAS ONE OF THE 
LONGEST AMONG THE 12 EU COUNTRIES THAT ADOPTED THE NEW 
CURRENCY.  GERMANY, NETHERLANDS, IRELAND AND FRANCE 
ALREADY FINISHED THEIR CHANGEOVER.  ITALY WAS TO HAVE 
FINISHED BY FEBRUARY 28, BUT, AT THE REQUEST OF THE 
CENTRAL BANK, THE ITALIAN BANKING ASSOCIATION EXTENDED 
THE CHANGEOVER PERIOD FOR FOUR ADDITIONAL MONTHS UNTIL 
THE END OF JUNE. THE EURO WILL BE THE ONLY LEGAL 
CURRENCY IN ITALY STARTING MARCH 1, BUT CUSTOMERS MAY 
CHANGE LIRE INTO EURO, FREE OF CHARGE, AT BANKS UNTIL 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01059  01 OF 04  281501Z 
JUNE 30.  THERE WILL BE SOME CONDITIONS: THE MAXIMUM 
ALLOWED PER EXCHANGE WILL BE 1,000,000 LIRE (516 EURO) 
PER DAY FOR CHECKING ACCOUNT HOLDERS BUT ONLY 500,000 
(258 EURO) DAILY FOR OTHER CUSTOMERS.  LARGER 
TRANSACTIONS WILL REQUIRE MORE NOTICE.  POST OFFICES, 
WHICH ACCEPT CURRENCY PAYMENTS FOR UTILITIES, SAVINGS 
PLANS, ETC., ARE CONSIDERING EXTENDING THE CHANGEOVER 
PERIOD. AFTER MID-JUNE, CUSTOMERS MAY STILL CHANGE 
LIRE INTO EUROS AT BANK OF ITALY BRANCHES UNTIL 
FEBRUARY 2012, FREE OF CHARGE. 
 
¶3.  ITALY IS NOT THE ONLY COUNTRY OF THE EURO-ZONE 
THAT HAS EXTENDED THE CHANGEOVER PERIOD FOR BANKS. 
BANKS IN FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG, PORTUGAL, AND SPAIN WILL 
EXCHANGE NATIONAL CURRENCY FOR EUROS, FREE OF CHARGES, 
UNTIL END-JUNE.  ANOTHER FOUR COUNTRIES (AUSTRIA, 
FINLAND, GREECE AND IRELAND) ARE DISCUSSING A POSSIBLE 
EXTENSION.  IN THE NETHERLANDS, EXCHANGE WILL BE 
POSSIBLE UNTIL THE END OF 2002. 
 
CHANGEOVER DATA 
------------------ 
 
¶4.  THE ITALIAN CHANGEOVER WENT SMOOTHLY, BUT THERE 
ARE STILL LIRE BANKNOTE CIRCULATING, NOTICEABLY IN 
SUPERMARKETS, SHOPPING CENTERS, MALLS AND RESTAURANTS. 
THE OVERALL VALUE OF LIRE CIRCULATING IN ITALY AT THE 
END OF 2001 WAS 120 TRILLION LIRE, EQUIVALENT TO 62 
BILLION EURO. ACCORDING TO THE BANK OF ITALY, MORE 
THAN 1.6 BILLION LIRE BANKNOTE HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN 
FROM CIRCULATION, VALUED AT ABOUT 90 TRILLION LIRE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  01059  01 OF 04  281501Z 
(46.5 BILLION EURO).  THERE ARE REMAINING 30 TRILLION 
LIRE (15.5 BILLION EURO) OR 25 PERCENT OF LIRE VALUE 
STILL IN CIRCULATION. MOST LARGE LIRE BANKNOTES HAVE 
BEEN EXCHANGED FOR EUROS. DESPITE THE SUCCESS OF THE 
CHANGEOVER, 1.5 BILLION LIRE IN BANKNOTES ARE EXPECTED 
TO REMAIN IN CIRCULATION AFTER FEBRUARY 28, MOSTLY IN 
SMALL DENOMINATIONS.  THE EXTENSION OF THE LIRA/EURO 
EXCHANGE DEADLINE IS EXPECTED TO HELP SMALL 
SHOPKEEPERS, THE ELDERLY AND OTHER GROUPS THAT HAVE 
BEEN SLOW TO ACCEPT THE EURO CHANGEOVER. 
 
¶5.  ACCORDING TO THE ITALIAN BANKING ASSOCIATION, 
DURING THE CHANGEOVER, ITALIAN BANKS HAVE WITHDRAWN 
100 TRILLION LIRE (51.6 BILLION EURO) SO FAR AND ARE 
EXPECTED TO WITHDRAW ANOTHER 110 TRILLION (56.8 
BILLION EURO) BY THE END OF FEBRUARY. (COMMENT: THE 
DATA REFER TO LIQUIDITY CONVERTED FROM LIRE TO EURO SO 
FAR, WITH NO IMPACT ON OVERALL LIQUIDITY.) 
 
ONE- AND TWO-CENT COINS DEBATE 
------------------------------ 
 
¶6. LATE IN JANUARY, ECONOMY MINISTER GIULIO TREMONTI 
MENTIONED THAT GOI IS CONSIDERING FOLLOWING FINLANDS 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ1822 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01059  02 OF 04  281502Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AGRE-00  AID-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00  CTME-00  INL-00 
      DODE-00  ITCE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    EXME-00  E-00 
      FAAE-00  UTED-00  VC-00    FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00 
      ITC-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01 
      OPIC-01  PC-01    ACE-00   SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    STR-00 
      TEST-00  USIE-00  FMP-00   SNIS-00  NISC-00  DRL-02   G-00 
      SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------6D4A2B  281502Z /38 
R 281430Z FEB 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2491 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC 
INFO AMCONSUL MILAN 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE 
AMCONSUL NAPLES 
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
USDOC WASHDC 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 04 ROME 001059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA 
DEPT PASS TREAS FOR OASIA HARLOW, JONES 
STATE PASS FRB FOR GUST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN EFIN EFIN EFIN IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01059  02 OF 04  281502Z 
SUBJECT:  THE EURO CHANGEOVER IN ITALY 
 
LEAD AND ELIMINATING ITS SMALLEST EURO COINS. 
TREMONTI TOLD REPORTERS THAT GETTING RID OF THE TINY 
ONE- AND TWO-CENT COINS WOULD CERTAINLY WIN THE FAVOR 
OF ITALIAN CITIZENS AND SAID HE WAS CAREFULLY 
CONSIDERING THE IDEA.  BUT THE MINISTER, WHO WAS 
CRITICIZED AS A EURO-SKEPTIC IN THE WAKE OF HIS COOL 
RESPONSE TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW SINGLE 
CURRENCY, STRESSED THAT SUCH DECISIONS SHOULD NOT BE 
UNILATERAL. CALLS FOR SUCH A PRACTICE ARE GAINING 
MOMENTUM IN ITALY.  THE MAYOR OF THE NORTHEASTERN CITY 
OF TREVISO, GIANCARLO GENTILINI, SAID THAT HE HAD 
WRITTEN TO TREMONTI URGING THE ELIMINATION OF THE 
COINS.  GENTILINI SAID HE HAD HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS 
FROM CITIZENS EXASPERATED BY THESE TWO MICROSCOPIC 
COINS.  OUR WALLETS ARE ALREADY STUFFED TO 
OVERFLOWING WITH THE BIGGER COINS.  THE CENTS WERE 
FINE BEFORE WORLD WAR II, WHEN MANY PEOPLE DIED 
OPLE DIED 
WITHOUT EVER TASTING THE JOY OF HANDLING A THOUSAND 
LIRE BANKNOTE. 
 
¶7. GIANCARLO DEL BUFALO, OF THE EURO COMMITTEE OF THE 
MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND FINANCE, DEFENDED THE EURO- 
CENTS, WHICH ALLOWED A MORE PRECISE CONVERSION OF LIRE 
PRICES INTO EURO PRICES.  ECHOING THE OPINION OF 
FINANCE MINISTRY UNDERSECRETARY VITO TANZI, DEL BUFALO 
SAID THE MARKET WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE ARBITRATOR OF 
THE TYPE OF COINS USED. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01059  02 OF 04  281502Z 
PUBLIC OPINION 
----------------- 
 
¶8. ACCORDING TO A MID-FEBRUARY SURVEY BY THE UNION OF 
ITALIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND THE POLLING COMPANY 
TAGLIACARNE INSTITUTE, THE CHANGEOVER WAS SMOOTH. THE 
SUPPLY OF EUROS IN BANK CHANNELS WAS SUFFICIENT IN 
MOST CASES: ONLY 17 PERCENT OF THOSE POLLED HAD 
PROBLEMS WITH OBTAINING EUROS AT BANKS. POST OFFICES 
DID EVEN BETTER: ONLY 11 PERCENT OF THOSE POLLED HAD 
PROBLEMS OBTAINING EUROS AT POST OFFICES.  WITH 
RESPECT TO PRICE HIKES, 37 PERCENT SAID THAT EURO 
PRICES FOR GOODS AND SERVICES HAD INCREASED FROM THE 
LIRE PRICES. (THIS CONTRASTS WITH A MUCH GREATER 
NUMBER -- 55 PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED  WHO SAID IN 
JANUARY THAT EURO PRICES WERE HIGHER.) THE POLL SHOWED 
A LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ITALY 
IN TERMS OF EURO SUPPLY AND PRICE INCREASES.  FORTY- 
ONE PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED IN THE SOUTH SAID THEY 
HAD SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTIES AT THE POST OFFICE, WHILE 
ANOTHER 32 PERCENT SIGNALED THE SAME DIFFICULTIES AT 
BANKS.  SEVENTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE SURVEYED 
IN THE SOUTH LAMENTED UNJUSTIFIED PRICE INCREASES. 
 
¶9. IN THE SOUTH, LONG LINES AT BANKS AND POST OFFICES 
PERSISTED THROUGH THE END OF JANUARY.  EVEN AS THE 
FEBRUARY 28 DEADLINE APPROACHED, MANY TRANSACTIONS IN 
SMALL SHOPS WERE STILL BEING CARRIED OUT IN LIRE. 
TAXIMETERS, WHICH HAD BEEN CONVERTED TO EUROS IN ROME 
SOON AFTER THE NEW YEAR, STILL SHOWED PRICES IN LIRE 
IN NAPLES AS RECENTLY AS LATE FEBRUARY.  SHOPKEEPERS 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  01059  02 OF 04  281502Z 
IN NAPLES FREQUENTLY HAVE PROBLEMS MAKING CHANGE, AS 
MOST CASH DRAWERS CONTAIN FAR MORE LIRE THAN EUROS. 
DESPITE THE INITIAL CONFUSION, AND THE CONTINUING 
RESISTANCE TO THE NEW CURRENCY, BANCO DI NAPOLI 
OFFICIALS MINIMIZED THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CHANGEOVER 
IN THE SOUTH.  THEY BELIEVE THAT THE PROCESS OF 
ADAPTATION WILL ACCELERATE QUICKLY ONCE THE LIRA LOSES 
ITS VALUE AS LEGAL TENDER. 
 
INFLATIONARY IMPACT OF THE CHANGEOVER 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶10. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT, IN SEVERAL SECTORS, 
PRICES WERE ROUNDED UP TO FACILITATE THE EURO 
CONVERSION.  ONLY AFTER FIRST QUARTER RESULTS ARE IN 
WILL A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE BE POSSIBLE.  OFFICIAL 
STATISTICS INDICATE A 0.5 PERCENT INCREASE IN PRICES 
FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH BOTH IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. 
IN PARTICULAR, PRICE FIGURES FROM TWENTY ITALIAN 
CITIES, RELEASED ON FEBRUARY 21, INDICATE THAT THE 
YEAR-TO-YEAR INFLATION RATE INCREASED FROM 2.4 PERCENT 
IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY TO 2.5 PERCENT IN FEBRUARY. 
CENTRAL BANK CONTACTS SAY A 0.7 PERCENT INCREASE IN 
INFLATION IS LIKELY IN THE FIRST QUARTER BECAUSE OF 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ1827 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01059  03 OF 04  281502Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AGRE-00  AID-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00  CTME-00  INL-00 
      DODE-00  ITCE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    EXME-00  E-00 
      FAAE-00  UTED-00  VC-00    FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00 
      ITC-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01 
      OPIC-01  PC-01    ACE-00   SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    STR-00 
      TEST-00  USIE-00  FMP-00   SNIS-00  NISC-00  DRL-02   G-00 
      SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------6D4A41  281502Z /38 
R 281430Z FEB 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2492 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC 
INFO AMCONSUL MILAN 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE 
AMCONSUL NAPLES 
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
USDOC WASHDC 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 04 ROME 001059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA 
DEPT PASS TREAS FOR OASIA HARLOW, JONES 
STATE PASS FRB FOR GUST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN EFIN EFIN EFIN IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01059  03 OF 04  281502Z 
SUBJECT:  THE EURO CHANGEOVER IN ITALY 
 
THIS ROUNDING UP. THIS INCREASE WILL NOT BE EASILY 
ABSORBED DURING THE YEAR AND COULD PUSH THE YEARLY 
AVERAGE INFLATION RATE CLOSE TO TWO PERCENT.   THERE 
WAS SOME ROUNDING DOWN AS WELL, WHICH COMPENSATED FOR 
A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE ROUNDING UP. 
 
¶11. THE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF ITALYS LARGEST 
INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION, CONFINDUSTRIA, CONSIDERS THE 
ACCELERATION OF INFLATION A TEMPORARY EFFECT OF THE 
CHANGEOVER, AND BELIEVES THAT THE DECELERATION WILL 
START IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.  HOWEVER, AS A RESULT OF 
THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 2002, THE CONFINDUSTRIA 
ESTIMATE OF AN INFLATION RATE OF 1.5 PERCENT IN 2002 
HAS HAD TO BE REVISED UPWARD TO ABOUT 2.0 PERCENT. 
THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND FINANCE AND THE MINISTRY 
OF PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES CONTINUE TO TRUST IN THE 
ANTI-INFLATIONARY MECHANISMS SET UP BY THE GOI, AND 
PREDICT THAT THE CHANGEOVER WILL HAVE ONLY A MODEST 
INFLATIONARY IMPACT.  OTHER GOI CONTACTS PREDICT THAT 
ADDITIONAL PRICE INCREASES MAY OCCUR ON MARCH 1, WHEN 
THE LIRA IS TAKEN OUT OF CIRCULATION.  CARLO RIENZI, 
PRESIDENT OF THE LEADING CONSUMER ASSOCIATION, 
CODACONS, FORESEES SUBSTANTIAL PRICE INCREASES 
STARTING MARCH 1, WHEN LIRE PRICES WILL NO LONGER BE 
POSTED FOR COMPARISON. FROM THAT DAY, JUNGLE LAW WILL 
PREVAIL, RIENZI SAID. 
 
¶12. THE CONSUMER ASSOCIATIONS, ADICONSUM, CODACONS AND 
UNIONE CONSUMATORI, SAY THAT THE INFLATIONARY IMPACT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01059  03 OF 04  281502Z 
IS HIGHER THAN THE GOI HAS REPORTED. THESE 
ASSOCIATIONS PLAN TO APPEAL TO ISTAT, THE CENTRAL 
INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS, WHICH IS IN CHARGE OF THE 
CALCULATION AND THE PUBLICATION OF THE PRICE DATA, 
REQUESTING THE COMPOSITION OF THE NEW INDEX AND THE 
METHODOLOGY FOR CALCULATION OF PRICE INCREASES. 
ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATIONS, THE JANUARY DATA DO NOT 
MEASURE THE REAL INFLATIONARY IMPACT OF THE EURO 
CHANGEOVER, WHICH, THEY SAY, MAY EQUAL AN AVERAGE 
INFLATION OF THREE PERCENT THIS YEAR.  THE 
ASSOCIATIONS ESTIMATE THAT PRICES WILL INCREASE BY 14 
PERCENT IN 2002 ON AVERAGE, WITH A LOSS OF PURCHASING 
POWER OF 557.77 EURO (USD 490) A YEAR PER HOUSEHOLD, 
, 
APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 50 EURO PER MONTH.  THE CONSUMER 
ASSOCIATIONS RECENTLY PUBLISHED A PAMPHLET 
HIGHLIGHTING PRICE INCREASES.  HIGHWAY TOLLS ROSE BY 
2.21 PERCENT, NATIONAL TELEVISION FEES BY 1.46 
PERCENT, LOTTERY TICKET PRICES BY 16 PERCENT FROM 
5,000 LIRE (EURO 2.58) TO THREE EUROS.  IN MILAN, 
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TICKETS INCREASED BY 29.1 
PERCENT, FROM 1,500 LIRE (EURO 0.77) TO ONE EURO. 
 
MONEY-LAUNDERING AND COUNTERFEITING 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶13. THE EURO HAS BLACK-MARKET BENEFITS THAT THE DOLLAR 
CANNOT MATCH.  THE SINGLE CURRENCY GLIDES WITHOUT A 
TRACE ACROSS A NEWLY BORDER-LESS EUROPE IN BILLS 
DENOMINATED IN LARGE VALUES SCARCELY SEEN IN THE 
REGION.  THE E500 NOTE  THE HIGHEST DENOMINATION - IS 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  01059  03 OF 04  281502Z 
ALSO ABOUT FIVE TIMES THE VALUE OF THE LARGEST DOLLAR 
NOTE IN CIRCULATION, THE USD 100 BILL.  WHETHER 
MEASURED BY WEIGHT OR VOLUME, THIS MEANS MORE EUROS 
CAN BE JAMMED INTO A BRIEFCASE THAN DOLLARS OR OLD 
EUROPEAN CURRENCIES. ACCORDING TO THE MINISTRY OF 
ECONOMY AND FINANCE, THE ARRIVAL OF THE EURO 
INCREASED THE RISKS OF MONEY-LAUNDERING.  THE PERIOD 
OF DOUBLE CIRCULATION LIRA-EURO REPRESENTS THE LAST 
CHANCE FOR HOLDERS OF ITALIAN LIRE OF ILLICIT ORIGIN 
TO TRY TO RECYCLE THROUGH THE CONVERSION IN EURO OR 
THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF GOODS AND INVESTMENTS. 
 
¶14. ON FEBRUARY 19, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS SEIZED 
NEAR ROME 25,000 COUNTERFEIT 50 AND 200 EURO 
BANKNOTES.  THIS IS THE FIRST SEIZURE OF COUNTERFEIT 
BANKNOTES IN ITALY, WHICH WERE APPARENTLY OF HIGH 
QUALITY. COMMENT: THERE HAS NOT BEEN A NOTABLE 
INCREASE IN COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY IN ITALY. LAW 
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AT POST  AND IN ITALY IN 
GENERAL -- SAID THAT THEY EXPECTED A SIGNIFICANT 
UPSWING IN COUNTERFEIT EUROS IN THE FIRST WEEKS AFTER 
ITS INTRODUCTION, AS COUNTERFEITERS TESTED THE 
MARKETS AWARENESS ABOUT THE EUROS APPEARANCE. 
HOWEVER, THE EUROS SECURITY FEATURES SEEM TO HAVE 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ1831 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01059  04 OF 04  281503Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AGRE-00  AID-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00  CTME-00  INL-00 
      DODE-00  ITCE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    EXME-00  E-00 
      FAAE-00  UTED-00  VC-00    FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00 
      ITC-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01 
      OPIC-01  PC-01    ACE-00   SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    STR-00 
      TEST-00  USIE-00  FMP-00   SNIS-00  NISC-00  DRL-02   G-00 
      SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------6D4A59  281503Z /38 
R 281430Z FEB 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2493 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC 
INFO AMCONSUL MILAN 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE 
AMCONSUL NAPLES 
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
USDOC WASHDC 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 04 OF 04 ROME 001059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA 
DEPT PASS TREAS FOR OASIA HARLOW, JONES 
STATE PASS FRB FOR GUST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN EFIN EFIN EFIN IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF ECON IT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE ROME OF
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01059  04 OF 04  281503Z 
SUBJECT:  THE EURO CHANGEOVER IN ITALY 
 
DISSUADED COUNTERFEITING, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AT 
POST REMARKED.  END COMMENT. 
 
MMENT. 
 
THE THAI THREAT & OTHER STORIES 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶15. THE EURO HAS ITS DOUBLES.  THANKS TO THE 
SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE OLD 500 LIRE COINS AND THE TWO- 
EURO COINS (BOTH BI-METALLIC AND WITH ALMOST THE SAME 
WEIGHT) IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE CHANGEOVER, MANY OLD 
500 LIRE COINS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR SMALL PAYMENTS 
IN PLACE OF THE TWO-EURO COINS. THE 500-LIRE COIN IS 
VERY SIMILAR, BUT IS WORTH ONLY ONE-EIGHTH (26 EURO 
CENTS) OF A TWO-EURO COIN. 
 
¶16. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS ANOTHER THREAT.  THE THAI 
10-BAHT COIN IS A PERFECT TWIN OF THE TWO-EURO COIN, 
BUT IS WORTH ONLY 25 EURO CENTS.  ANECDOTALLY, WE HAVE 
HEARD THAT SOME TEN-BAHT COINS HAVE BEEN USED IN 
AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE AND BEVERAGE DISPENSING MACHINES. 
 
ROME MISCELLANY 
------------------ 
 
¶17. FEWER THAN ONE THIRD OF ROMES 365 AUTOMATIC BUS 
TICKET DISPENSERS ACCEPT EURO COINS.  ATAC, THE ROME 
CITY TRANSPORTATION AGENCY, PROMISED THAT ALL WOULD 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01059  04 OF 04  281503Z 
ACCEPT EUROS BY THE END OF FEBRUARY.  AN ESTIMATED 
ED 
FIVE- PERCENT OF GASOLINE STATIONS DID NOT ACCEPT EURO 
BANKNOTES BY THE END OF FEBRUARY. BY MARCH 1, ALL 
PARKING METERS WILL ACCEPT THE EURO. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶18. DESPITE THE INITIAL INCONVENIENCE, THE ITALIAN 
TRANSITION WAS SMOOTHER AND FASTER THAN EXPECTED AND 
MORE ITALIANS ACCEPTED EUROS EARLIER THAN EXPECTED. 
TOO MANY SMALL LIRE BANKNOTES STILL CIRCULATE OR AT 
LEAST REMAIN TO BE EXCHANGED.  THE BANKING 
ASSOCIATIONS DECISION TO PROLONG THE ACCEPTANCE 
PERIOD FOR LIRE SEEMS WISE, GIVEN THE 1.6 BILLION LIRA 
BANKNOTES (WITH AN OVERALL VALUE OF 15.5 BILLION EURO) 
IN CIRCULATION. THE ORIGINAL FEBRUARY 28 DEADLINE FOR 
EXCHANGING THESE NOTES MIGHT HAVE MEANT A LAST MINUTE 
CRUNCH, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS DELAYS IN 
BANKS AND POST OFFICES.  WE ARE MONITORING THE 
INFLATIONARY IMPACT OF THE CHANGE TO EUROS, AND WILL 
CONTINUE TO DO SO IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.  WE WILL ALSO 
KEEP ON EYE ON WHETHER THERE IS ANY DOWNWARD PRESSURE 
ON PRICES (OR INCREASED DEMAND FOR GREATER 
EFFICIENCIES) AS ITALIANS BEGIN TO NOTICE COST 
DIFFERENTIALS FOR THEIR HIGH-PRICED GOODS AND SERVICES 
COMPARED TO THEIR EURO-ZONE NEIGHBORS.  END COMMENT 
 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  01059  04 OF 04  281503Z 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 
 2002ROME01059 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED