Councils told to get moving on the Euro

The Insular Council of Majorca has devised a time structure within which the island's council must adapt themselves for the introduction of the Euro next year. According to the Insular Council very few local councils have even started introducing any measures for the single currency. The details of the Euro calendar will be unveiled in co-operation with Balearic bank Sa Nostra. The Insular Councillor for the Economy, Miquel Angel Flaquer, said yesterday that in view of the fact that the peseta will cease to exist on March 1, 2002, after two months of monitoring the Euro's introduction at the start of the year, the main aim of the campaign is to “set the alarm bells ringing in local town halls where nothing is being done about the Euro and in those where measures are being adopted, albeit slowly.” Flaquer also announced that a special working group is to be set up in order to monitor developments and to help ensure that the Euro programme, which will be introduced next month, is working. In May, Flaquer said that each local council will be expected to provide a report on what measures they are taking and how far they have got. In July and August, the Insular Council will be organising courses for council administration staff immediately effected by the introduction of the single currency. President of the Insular Council, Maria Antonia Munar, admitted yesterday that the small ere councils “will have a great deal of difficulties” in adapting to the Euro - which is one of the reasons why the Insular Council has stepped in to help ensure that all the necessary systems are in place by the end of the year and staff know how they all work. In October all the new computer programmes will be installed for the local councils and during November an extensive series of tests and trials will be carried out.