Speakers
Chair
Burkhard Balz
Member of the Executive Board - Deutsche Bundesbank
Public Authorities
Evelien Witlox
Director, Digital Euro - European Central Bank (ECB)
Fernando Navarrete Rojas
MEP - ECON Committee, European Parliament
Madis Müller
Governor - National Bank of Estonia (Eesti Pank)
Stelios Georgakis
Acting Director General Payments - Central Bank of Cyprus
Industry Representatives
Joachim Schmalzl
Executive Member of the Board - Deutscher Sparkassen
Johannes Rehulka
Managing Director & Secretary General, Austrian Raiffeisen Association - Austrian Raiffeisen Association
Yves Blavet
Deputy Director of Group Public Affairs - Société Générale
Objectives
This session aims to explore the recent developments, remaining challenges, and future prospects of the digital euro, considering the evolving landscape of digital currencies and the need for a competitive and secure European payment system.
Points of discussion
- What are the key technical advancements in the digital euro project since September 2024, and how have the ECB and European Commission addressed the associated challenges? What is the time frame of the project and next milestones?
- How does the digital euro compare to existing digital payment methods and what strategies is the ECB considering ensuring its competitiveness in the global digital payment ecosystem and in the emerging digital retail currencies (non-central bank) and different policy choices globally? What is at stake for the digital euro regarding EU strategic autonomy?
- What are the current levels of public awareness and support for the digital euro, and what measures are being taken to mitigate financial stability risks and ensure widespread adoption?