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Digital Euro: key success factors and likely timetable

Day 2 Afternoon

Thursday 22 February

Room :

ROOM 1

Speakers

Chair
Burkhard Balz
Member of the Executive Board - Deutsche Bundesbank
Public Authorities
Tim Hermans
Executive Director - National Bank of Belgium
Harald Waiglein
Director General for Economic Policy, Financial Markets and Customs Duties & Member of the Board of Directors, ESM - Federal Ministry of Finance, Austria
Evelien Witlox
Programme Manager, Digital Euro Project - European Central Bank (ECB)
Industry Representatives
Koen Holdtgrefe
Global Head of Government & Regulatory Advocacy - Deutsche Bank AG
Jorn Lambert
Chief Digital Officer - MasterCard (United Kingdom)
William Olgiati
Head of EU Payments Acceptance & Experience - Amazon
Ertan Piskin
Head of Products, Services & ESG - Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG
Marco Siracusano
Chief Executive Officer - PostePay S.p.A.

Objectives

The Digital Euro has raised key questions within the EU payment landscape, focusing on financial intermediaries, stability, inclusion, and data privacy. It aims to provide a convenient and secure payment method, meeting evolving individual needs and stimulating innovation. Additionally, it seeks to reduce Europe’s reliance on foreign providers and strengthen the region’s payment system.

Balancing central bank-issued and commercial bank money is crucial for a smooth payment ecosystem, addressing risks such as depositor outflows and privacy concerns. Ensuring broad inclusion and responsible data usage are top priorities for fostering adoption. Collaboration between central banks and the private sector is vital for digital currency distribution and promoting digital inclusion. Leveraging existing infrastructure is crucial for a viable business case.

The legislative framework for the digital euro is in development, with a proposed regulation for its establishment. After a two-year design and distribution investigation, the ECB is transitioning to the preparation phase, finalizing the rulebook, selecting providers, and testing the system’s readiness.

The decision to issue the digital euro will be made after the legislative process is completed. Continuous engagement with stakeholders and close cooperation with EU legislators aim to ensure transparency and successful implementation before the final decision.

The session will identify potential issues related to the digital euro’s launch that need addressing before the final decision is made.

Points of discussion

  1. What are the main digital euro use cases and design options?
  2. How to mitigate anticipated risks and challenges?
  3. What would be the Impact of the digital euro in the EU financial land scape?