Legislative Delays May Push Back Digital Euro's 2029 Launch Plan

Odaily: European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone has warned that if legislation for the digital euro cannot be finalized in a timely manner, the plan originally scheduled for a 2029 launch could be delayed. He called on EU negotiators to reach an agreement on the relevant legislation by the end of the year, and stated that legislative delays could deepen Europe's reliance on foreign payment providers. If the EU passes the regulation this year, the ECB plans to prepare for a possible first issuance of the digital euro in 2029; whether to issue it and the timing of issuance will be decided by the bank's Governing Council after the legislation is passed. The ECB is preparing to launch a 12-month pilot in the second half of 2027.