Overview

• ECB executive board member Piero Cipollone briefed European Parliament lawmakers on Sept. 4 about a resilience-first digital euro design that would complement cash.
• Safeguards outlined include a mandatory ECB-run app for basic functions, transaction processing across multiple regions, and an offline feature enabling peer‑to‑peer payments without connectivity.
• Cipollone said the goal is to provide a public fallback so users can continue paying if bank apps are knocked out or infrastructure goes down, noting recent cable sabotage and power outages as vulnerabilities.
• The ECB emphasized inclusivity with plans for adaptive interfaces such as voice commands and large-font displays, requirements for providers to support the ECB app, and local support via venues like post offices and libraries.
• Work remains in the preparatory phase as national pilots progress—Lithuania has built live demos and prototypes—while reporting cites a tentative path toward basic infrastructure by 2027 and a possible full rollout by 2030.