 How have Europeans benefited from the euro? This is Sophie from the Netherlands. She was born in 1992 in Maastricht. That same year, European leaders gathered there to sign the Treaty of Maastricht, a document that would prove to influence Sophie's life in unexpected ways. Without it, she might never have met her best friend Maria from Spain or her German boyfriend Oliver. But why is that so? The Treaty of Maastricht was not only a milestone for European integration, it also set the stage for the euro. Sophie still remembers the time before Europe had a single currency. On family holidays to Austria or Italy, Sophie's parents always had to buy foreign currency. So they wasted a lot of time and money exchanging currencies back and forth. Today, travelling is much more convenient, thanks to the euro. For instance, when Sophie planned her exchange semester at university, she could easily examine the living costs for different places in the euro area. She also knew that she could use her Dutch debit card in these countries. So nothing stood in her way when she decided to study in Spain for six months. It was here that she met her best friend Maria. After finishing her studies, Sophie got an attractive job offer in Germany. She still lives in the Netherlands but works across the border. Thanks to the euro and EU law, she is entitled to receive her salary in her Dutch bank account at no extra cost. And she doesn't have to worry about exchange rate fluctuations. In Germany, she also met her boyfriend Oliver. Along with Sophie, Oliver and Maria, millions of other Europeans benefit from the euro, while travelling, studying or working abroad. Just as Europe's political leaders envisioned back in 1992. For more information, click ECB.europa.eu.