European Parliament backs digital euro, paving way for final negotiations. Potential launch in 2029.
The European Parliament has voted in favour of the creation of a digital euro, paving the way for the final stage of negotiations with EU state members on the makeup of the CBDC ahead of a potential 2029 launch.
On Thursday, plenary backed talks with the Council on a digital euro proposal that would offer citizens a secure way to reduce reliance on non-EU providers.
With 416 votes in favour, 169 against and 22 abstentions for the creation of a digital euro, and by a show of hands approval for non-euro payment service providers, the European Parliament agreed to proceed to the next stage of the legislative process. The PfE, ECR and ESN political groups had challenged the 23 June 2026 decisions by the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee to open interinstitutional talks on the creation of the digital euro and the provision of digital euro services by payment services providers incorporated in member states whose currency is not the euro.
A third file part of the same single currency package, on the legal tender of euro banknotes and coins, was not contested, so negotiations can also go ahead on that, in line with rule 72 of Parliament’s rules of procedure.
Rapporteur Fernando Navarrete Rojas (EPP, ES) will lead Parliament’s negotiating team. A first round of negotiations with the Irish Presidency of the Council, representing member states, is scheduled to take place shortly.
Key points of the Parliament’s negotiating position include:
. The digital euro would be a new, electronic form of money issued by the European Central Bank (ECB) and would work online and offline
. Privacy safeguards would be built into the digital euro. Transactions would be verified without exposing personal data, which would be processed only to the extent strictly necessary for the system to function
. Most businesses would be required to accept digital euro. Exceptions would apply to the self-employed and small and micro enterprises that do not accept other digital payments.
. Basic services, such as opening an account, holding and managing funds, and access to at least one payment instrument, would be free of charge.
. To protect the financial system, there would be a cap on how many digital euros any individual could hold
. Banks and payment service providers (PSPs) from non-euro EU countries would be allowed to distribute the digital euro
. Euro area countries would be obliged to keep cash accessible, businesses would not be allowed to ban cash and member states would need to monitor cash availability regularly, with special attention to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, low-income individuals, and people without access to the traditional banking system.
You can check details of Parliament’s negotiating position here.
