Maastricht farewell plus fireworks plus euros arriving

(1 Jan 2002) 1. Wide shot of celebration in central square 2. Close up of stylised flower unfolding to reveal Greek flag 3. Acrobat swinging from tree of euro countries 4. Various of performer in giant euro coin 5. Countdown illuminated on building, zoom out to square and euro tree 6. Fireworks display over square 7. Various of people in crowd waving sparklers 8. Wide shot of fireworks display over square 9. Fireworks display over building 10. Gerrit Zalm, Dutch finance minister, holding champagne glass and walking towards cash machine 11. Cutaway to cameraman 12. Zalm holding euros and wishing media happy new year 13. Man taking money out of cash machine 14. Close up of euros being taken out of cash machine STORYLINE: In the southern Dutch town where Europe's single currency was conceived a decade ago, people gathered to celebrate the changeover to the euro at midnight on Monday. The Maastricht Treaty, paving the way for the euro, was signed here on February 7, 1992. As the new currency came into being at midnight, people in Maastricht's main square were greeted with music and a fireworks display. Earlier in the evening, a stylised tree revealed several flowers depicting each of the European countries that are now joined by the single currency. As the fireworks went off outside, the Dutch finance minister Gerrit Zalm symbolically withdrew the first euros from an automated teller machine (A-T-M). Citizens in a dozen European countries were able to withdraw their first new notes at midnight on Monday. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...