The euro fell broadly on Wednesday after a media report cited comments from German Chancellor Angela Merkel that raised concerns about the future of the euro zone, which rattled investors already cautious about the outlook for the common currency.
"We have not yet shaped the European project in a way that we can be sure that everything will turn out well, we still have work to do," Merkel said. However, she added that she was "optimistic that we will succeed," a reiteration of her usual line on the survival of the euro.
The euro fell 0.3 percent versus the dollar to $1.2253, falling to session lows of $1.2215, not far from a two-year low of $1.2162 hit last week, as traders seized on the first part of Merkel's statement.
The dollar gained 0.1 percent against a basket of currencies, but slipped 0.2 percent versus the yen to 78.92 yen. The euro slipped 0.6 against the Japanese yen to 96.51. The euro hit an 11-1/2 year low of 8.4785 crowns against the Swedish crown and a record low of A$1.1858 against the Australian dollar.