Although, it seems it's not quite that simple

See the following document for a list of which country uses what

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Official practice followed in English-language EU legislation is to use the words euro and cent as both singular and plural. This practice originally arose out of legislation intended to ensure that the banknotes were uncluttered with a string of plurals (as the Soviet ruble notes were).

The English Style Guide of the European Commission Translation Service states:

12.12 ... Guidelines on the use of the euro, issued via the Secretariat-General, state that the plurals of both ?euro? and ?cent? are to be written without ?s? in English. Do this when amending or referring to legal texts that themselves observe this rule. Elsewhere, and especially in documents intended for the general public, use the natural plural with ?s? for both terms.

Because the s-less plurals had become "enshrined" in EU legislation, the Commission decided to retain those plurals in English in legislation even while allowing natural plurals in other languages, but the European Commission Translation Service (ECTS) strongly recommends that in all material generated by the Commission intended for the general public, the "natural plurals" of each language be used.

As the euro was being adopted in the Republic of Ireland, however, the Ministry for Finance decided to use the word euro as both the singular and plural forms of the currency, and because Irish broadcasters took their cue from the Ministry, the "legislative plurals" tend to also be used on the news and in much Irish advertising. This has the effect of reinforcing the s-less plurals, though many advertisers (particularly those in the United Kingdom) prefer the "natural" plurals: euros and cents. (This is in line with ECTS recommendations.)

Many people in Ireland prefer the -s plurals, and at the time the s-less plurals were introduced, at least some complained that the EU ought not attempt to change English grammar. People who have become accustomed to what they hear on daily television and radio often use the s-less plurals, which they also see written on the notes and coins. While usage in Ireland is disputed, common usage in the rest of the English-speaking world is to use the natural plurals. The media in the UK prefers euros and cents as the plural forms. Broadcasts of currency exchange rates outside of the European Union tend to use the -s plural; with NPR in the United States and the CBC in Canada being two examples.

Here is also a link to a transcribed interview on Dublin's Breakfast Show about this very issue.

Posted By: yarmyyarmy on October 13th 2009 at 14:40:26

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