The Central Bank of Malta (Maltese: Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta) was established on 17 April1968. In May 2004, when Malta joined the European Union, it became an integral part of the European System of Central Banks. It was responsible for, amongst other things, issuing Maltese lira banknotes and coins, before Malta adopted the euro in 2008 and the Bank became part of the Eurosystem.