Eurozone

Twenty-one European Union countries use the euro as their national currency. Together they form the Euro area, also called the Eurozone. Bulgaria joined on 1 January 2026. Membership concerns adoption of the common currency, rather than membership of the European Union alone. The ECB records both participating and non-participating EU countries in its [euro-area guide](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/intro/html/index.en.html).

The European Central Bank conducts monetary policy for the area. It works with the participating countries' national central banks through the Eurosystem. That arrangement distinguishes the currency union from the wider European System of Central Banks, which includes every EU national central bank. The ECB explains these institutions in its [organisational overview](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/orga/escb/html/index.en.html).

The euro began operating in 1999 for accounting and electronic payments. Banknotes and coins followed in 2002. Other European states also use the currency under different arrangements, so using euros does not itself establish euro-area membership. The ECB's [currency history](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/intro/html/index.en.html) records that distinction.