← Read the currency articleEuropean Currency Unit (ECU): research record
Evidence coverage: 1978–1999. This is the span of collected observations, not the currency’s lifetime.
This record includes associated currencies and earlier interpretations. The article selects the evidence relevant to its own history.
← Locate this currency on the treeCurrency continuity
European Currency Unit (ECU)
FTM000386 · Research draft
One scoped currency identity. Changes to subdivisions, scale, standard, instruments or issuers do not by themselves create children. A distinct account unit can remain a successor.
Dated observations: 1978–1999; this does not establish the entire lifetime.
Parents / predecessors
Children / successors
Unit and issue records 1 records
Evidence within this identity, not separate currencies.
European Currency Unit (ECU)FTM000786 · C642, C651, C654, C655, C656
Monetary history 3 events
Includes dated issues, standards, subdivisions and institutional changes. Each event retains the source's date qualifications.
1978-12-05Ecu ems policy resolutionThe December 1978 resolution specifies identical initial ECU and EUA value/composition and plans EMS establishment for 1 January 1979.
C654 1979-03-13Ems agreement signedInference: BIS dates signature of the EMS/ECU agreement in Basel to 13 March 1979, separately from the earlier planned January start.
C655 1999-01-01Defined ecu references replacedDefined ECU references in legal instruments become euro references at 1:1 from 1 January 1999; an undefined ECU reference carries a rebuttable presumption.
C642
Evidence & research notes 8 claims
Dated observations, not a proven complete lifespan.
Supported C642
Defined ECU references in legal instruments become euro references at 1:1 from 1 January 1999; an undefined ECU reference carries a rebuttable presumption.
Council of the European Union · Council Regulation (EC) 1103/97, 17 June 1997 Citation S346 ·
Open source ↗art.2(1), (3)
Source access and limitations
ECU definition/presumption and contractual exceptions matter; arithmetic uses the published national-units-per-euro rate, not a rounded inverse.
Inference C651
The 1994 ECU definition includes sterling and Danish-krone components; basket inclusion is distinct from later national euro adoption.
Council of the European Union · Council Regulation (EC) 3320/94 — definition of the ECU Citation S352 ·
Open source ↗art.1 component names, not malformed numeric weights
Source access and limitations
HTML numeric table is malformed; no component weights are adopted from it.
Basket membership is not evidence that each currency was replaced by the euro.
Supported C654
The December 1978 resolution specifies identical initial ECU and EUA value/composition and plans EMS establishment for 1 January 1979.
European Council · European Council resolution of 5 December 1978 on the European Monetary System Citation S354 ·
Open source ↗Annex 1, sections 1.2 and 2.1, PDF pp.8–9
Source access and limitations
The 1 January 1979 start is a plan in this resolution; the later operational agreement is separately dated.
EUA value/composition continuity does not imply retail banknotes.
Inference C655
BIS dates signature of the EMS/ECU agreement in Basel to 13 March 1979, separately from the earlier planned January start.
Bank for International Settlements · BIS Timelines — 1973–1993 Citation S356 ·
Open source ↗1973–1993 timeline, 13 March 1979 entry
Source access and limitations
Retrospective date of the signed EMS/ECU agreement; complete operating agreement and reserve-asset mechanics remain uninspected.
Supported C656
Decision 80/1184 replaces the EUA with ECU for covered ACP assistance and previous-convention operations from 1 January 1981.
Council of the European Communities · Council Decision 80/1184/EEC, 18 December 1980 — EUA replacement by ECU for ACP assistance Citation S355 ·
Open source ↗arts.1 and 3
Source access and limitations
Sectoral substitution applies from 1 January 1981.
It is not the ECU’s first creation or a universal 1981 replacement of every European unit.
Supported C1427
Official ECU references in legal instruments were replaced by euro references at one euro per ECU from 1 January 1999. Existing C 642 retains the rebuttable presumption for undefined ECU references.
ECB / EU monetary authorities · Joint communiqué on irrevocable conversion rates, 2 May 1998 Citation S717 ·
Open source ↗ECB annex §1; retained C642 / Regulation1103/97 art2
Source access and limitations
Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.
Original Regulation 1103/97 retrieval blocked by anti-bot page; existing S346/C642 retained without claiming fresh full-law retrieval.
Council of the European Union · Council Regulation (EC) 1103/97, 17 June 1997 Citation S346 ·
Open source ↗ECB annex §1; retained C642 / Regulation1103/97 art2
Source access and limitations
ECU definition/presumption and contractual exceptions matter; arithmetic uses the published national-units-per-euro rate, not a rounded inverse.
Supported C1428
From 1 January 1981, specified ACP financial assistance and operations under previous conventions switched from EUA to ECU accounting. This is a sectoral absorption into the existing ECU, not proof of the final use of every EUA account.
Council of the European Communities · Council Decision 80/1184/EEC, 18 December 1980 — EUA replacement by ECU for ACP assistance Citation S355 ·
Open source ↗Articles1 and3
Source access and limitations
Sectoral substitution applies from 1 January 1981.
It is not the ECU’s first creation or a universal 1981 replacement of every European unit.
Supported C1440
Official ECU legal-account references converted to euro; undefined contractual references retain the recorded legal qualification.
ECB / EU monetary authorities · Joint communiqué on irrevocable conversion rates, 2 May 1998 Citation S717 ·
Open source ↗ECB annex §1; retained C642
Source access and limitations
Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.
Original Regulation 1103/97 retrieval blocked by anti-bot page; existing S346/C642 retained without claiming fresh full-law retrieval.
Council of the European Union · Council Regulation (EC) 1103/97, 17 June 1997 Citation S346 ·
Open source ↗ECB annex §1; retained C642
Source access and limitations
ECU definition/presumption and contractual exceptions matter; arithmetic uses the published national-units-per-euro rate, not a rounded inverse.