ECB Signs Standards Agreements to Cut Digital Euro Integration Costs

The digital euro is a central bank digital currency that the European Central Bank plans to make available to consumers and merchants. It is intended to provide a universal payment instrument across the euro area and reduce reliance on international card networks and global digital wallets. The ECB estimates that European banks could face implementation costs of €4 billion to €6 billion over four years, making the use of existing standards critical to limiting the investment burden on financial institutions and merchants.

The ECB’s Governing Council approved the agreements on April 9, 2026. On April 24, the central bank announced that it had signed deals with the European Card Payment Cooperation (ECPC), nexo standards and the Berlin Group to adopt open standards covering CPACE contactless payments, merchant back-end connectivity and alias-based payments, respectively. The standards will support front-end processing for online digital euro transactions, harmonize the user experience and reduce integration costs.