Lithuania before the changeover : report

Lithuania became the 19th EU Member State to adopt the euro as its currency on 1 January 2015. To help ease the transition for the general public, it was decided that the old national currency, the Lithuanian litas, would remain in circulation for two weeks alongside the euro. After two weeks, the litas would no longer be accepted as legal tender, and the euro would become Lithuania's sole currency. This Flash Eurobarometer survey looks at Lithuanians' awareness of these aspects of the changeover in the immediate run-up to the euro's introduction. Respondents were asked how long the litas and the euro would both be accepted in shops. They were also asked whether they already had any euro banknotes and coins in their possession and, if so, how they had obtained them. Finally, they were also asked whether they had purchased one of the euro coins starter kits which had been made available before the changeover. This survey was carried out by TNS political & social network in Lithuania between 29 and 30 December 2014. Some 1,025 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed by telephone in their mother tongue on behalf of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN). The methodology used was that of Eurobarometer surveys as carried out by the Directorate- General for Communication ("Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer" Unit). A technical note on the manner in which interviews were conducted by the institutes within the TNS political & social network is appended as an annex to this report. Also included are the interview methods and confidence intervals.