The euro is the monetary unit and currency of the European Union (EU). On January 1, 2002, currency notes and coins began to circulate in member nations as a non-cash monetary unit. Several other nations adopted the currency. The euro is represented by the symbol €. There were 12 members of the European Community (now the European Union) when the Maastricht Treaty (1991) was signed - the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Luxembourg (EMU). In the treaty, the euro was advocated, and strict conditions were established for conversion to the euro and membership in the EMU.