Arwel Parry wrote:

Occasions for the issuance of these commemorative
coins could be political events that represent milestones in European
integration or extraordinary sports events like the Olympic Games.

Actually the first of those "commemorative euros" will be issued on the
occasion of the 2004 Olympics in Athens. While that Commission
recommendation has been discussed quite a lot in euro groups, nobody has
apparently seen the (draft) design for that premiere so far :-/

Christian