ECB’s Cipollone: Digital Euro Is About Payment Sovereignty, Real-Transaction Pilot in 2027

TREE NEWS update: European Central Bank executive board member Piero Cipollone said the digital euro would give Europe more “sovereignty” over payment infrastructure and reduce reliance on non-European third parties. A pilot using real transactions by ECB and national central bank staff is planned for 2027, with 36 market operators involved in preparations, including seven Italian operators. Two-thirds of card transactions in the euro area are handled by non-European companies, he said; the ECB Governing Council will decide on issuance after legislative negotiations in Brussels conclude, with launch possible as early as 2029 if rules pass by year-end.