ECB Executive Board member Fabio Panetta reiterated the central bank’s plan to decide around mid-year whether to proceed with a digital Euro. Then, there will be a two year investigation, followed by two to three year implementation.
“Five years is a long time but you should bear in mind that a (digital euro) is not simple and it is not simply a technical issue,” Panetta said. “Its introduction will inevitably have a very strong impact not only on payments and financial markets, both domestic and international, but also more broadly on the entire society.”