European Central Bank board member Piero Cipollone urged EU negotiators to agree on digital euro legislation by year-end to keep a possible 2029 launch on track. He said the law would give the ECB the legal certainty needed to complete preparations, while a delay could postpone the digital euro’s introduction.
The ECB aims to be ready for a potential first issuance in 2029 if the EU adopts the regulation this year. Its Governing Council would decide whether and when to issue the digital euro only after the law passes. The ECB is also preparing a 12-month pilot, set to begin in the second half of 2027, in which payment providers and selected merchants would test a beta version.
