# ECB Official Says Digital Euro Could Strengthen Europe’s Payment Control By Riza Dagoc Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/40573 Published: 2026-10-25T15:22:43.000Z Updated: 2026-10-25T15:22:43.000Z Section: Regulation > Piero Cipollone said staff will test real payments in 2027. First issuance could come as early as 2029 if EU lawmakers pass the required regulation. European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said a proposed digital euro could give Europe more control over payment infrastructure that relies on non-European providers, framing the project as a matter of payment sovereignty. Cipollone said sovereignty would not mean shutting out outside providers. “It means having the power to choose and knowing that, for an essential service like payments, Europe can also rely on its own strength.” He also pointed to energy and defense as areas where Europe has learned the risks of depending on third parties, arguing that payments raise a similar concern. The digital euro would be electronic central bank money for online and offline use across the euro area, alongside banknotes and coins. It has not been issued. Payment systems remain fragmented among euro-area countries, and a public instrument usable throughout the bloc could fill that gap. A pilot planned for 2027 will test real transactions by ECB and national central bank staff. Thirty-six market operators, including seven from Italy, are helping prepare, and the ECB is inviting e-commerce and mobile commerce operators to take part. The plan builds on the ECB’s [12-month pilot preparations](). The ECB Governing Council cannot decide whether to issue the digital euro until lawmakers in Brussels finish negotiations on the required regulation. Cipollone said he hopes the regulation will be adopted by the end of 2026. If it passes, issuance could follow as early as 2029. ## Links in this article - [12-month pilot preparations](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/34079)