The European Central Bank (ECB) is seeking industry experts to contribute to a workstream focused on how a digital euro central bank digital currency will work across ATMs, payment terminals, and acceptance infrastructure.
In an announcement published on Wednesday, the ECB launched applications for two workstreams under the Rulebook Development Group (RDG), covering implementation specifications for ATMs and terminal providers, and a framework for authentication and authorization of payment solutions.
The initiative revolves around defining how a potential digital euro will integrate with existing payment systems and hardware, including support for offline transactions and interoperability with standards used across Europe.
The move signals a deeper shift from policy design to implementation planning, with the ECB seeking views on how a digital euro will work across related infrastructure, including ATMs, payment terminals, offline use and existing technical standards.
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Workstream for ATM integration, authentication framework
According to the ECB, one of the workstreams will focus on developing implementation specifications for ATM and terminal providers. This includes reusing communication technologies, offline capabilities, and existing payment standards.
The second workstream will develop proposals for testing, certification and approval processes for payment solutions and infrastructure used by payment service providers within the digital euro ecosystem.
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The workstream reports to the RDG, which includes merchants, payment service providers, and consumer representatives.
The ECB said selected experts are expected to provide technical input to support the development of a standardized rulebook.
ECB aims for digital euro experiment in 2027
The ECB previously outlined plans to begin selecting a European Union-authorized payment service provider (PSP) ahead of a 12-month digital euro pilot scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027.
On February 18, ECB board member Piero Cipollone said the experiment would involve a limited number of merchants, Eurosystem staff and PSPs.
Digital euro pilot information. Source: ECB
Although these developments demonstrate the continued progress of the digital euro, the ECB said that a final decision on whether to issue a digital euro will only be taken after the relevant legislation is adopted.
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