Activities related to introducing the euro currency are going according to plan, it was said at a meeting of the National Council for the introduction of the euro on Thursday.

The council adopted a report by the coordinating committees and announced the signing of an agreement with the European Commission regarding a communication campaign.

“All activities are going according to the original plan. There is a lot of work and deadlines are always too short, however, it is our duty and obligation to do everything as it should be done,” Finance Minister Zdravko Maric said after the meeting.

Maric will travel to Brussels next week to sign an agreement on cooperation with the European Commission for the implementation of a communication and information campaign regarding the changeover from the kuna to the euro.

Maric said that the agreement will support a series of activities to inform Croatian citizens and explain all the possible aspects of introducing the euro in line with the strategy for its introduction.

Those activities may include strengthening human resources in the communication field, researching public opinion, preparing promotional material and publications, holding conferences and seminars, preparing exhibitions and conducting a media campaign, said Maric and added that the EC will ensure 50% of the total funds for those activities.

He added that the campaign would be conducted in three phases. As far as conferences and roundtable debates are concerned, which are the first phase, they are already underway while the second phase will start when a formal decision is made regarding Croatia’s accession to the euro area, which is expected to occur in June next year.

Maric in particular underscored the aspect of rounding off prices due to the fear that it will result in an increase in prices and thus cause inflation to go up. “I think that at that stage, too, we all, including the media, have to do a good job. We are a market economy, we cannot influence prices, but I think there are tools to show citizens who is playing by the rules and who isn’t,” Maric told reporters.