” “"The euro has established itself as a strong, stable currency", and the 12 countries that have adopted it have benefited from it in economic terms. These are the first conclusions of the note published today by Barroso’s Commission about the first years in the life of the euro (the currency was introduced as a financial and accounting instrument in 1999 and became an official currency on January 1st 2002). "The experience of the last eight years proves according to the Brussels’ experts that some countries in the euro-zone have not yet adjusted to living within the monetary union", which also involves a common monetary policy. The document, named "The strengthening of the euro-zone: main political priorities", was adopted when drawing up the 2006 EU balance sheet. To increase common benefits and show their effects to the citizens, structural reforms should be sped up, and public finances should be strengthened, "so as to have some leeway when having to cope with the next economic decline". In addition, the Commission says "governance in the euro-zone" should be improved through a "closer coordination of the domestic public budgets" and through economic reforms "that may benefit everybody". ” “
