The digital euro could start operating in the middle of this year. However, the sharp operation would be preceded by test operation, including its evaluation. The European Commission and the European Central Bank are now discussing options and possible bottlenecks.
The European Central Bank and the European Commission now want to jointly explore the possibility of introducing a digital euro as a complement to cash and non-cash payments made by private entities. The two institutions stated this in a joint statement.
The ECB would like to decide on the possible launch of the project by the middle of this year. However, the sharp operation would be preceded by the trial operation. “It would answer the key questions of the whole project, including the technical ones and the extent to which the ECB would be prepared to issue and operate the digital euro,” the statement said.
According to a recent survey, 41 percent of respondents are mainly concerned about the safety of the entire project. The ECB and the European Commission, therefore, want to place special emphasis on this aspect. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, has previously said that the digital euro should be introduced within five years at the latest.
