In this interview excerpt, Fabrizio Saccomanni, Managing Director for International Affairs at the Bank of Italy from 1997 to 2003, a participant in the negotiations for the establishment of European Economic and Monetary Union from 1998 to 2002 and a member of the committee set up by the Italian Government to manage the changeover to the single currency from 1998 to 2002, looks back at the transition to the euro in Italy, initially as an accounting currency on 1 January 1999, then with the introduction of euro coins and banknotes on 1 January 2002.