The European Central Bank has signed agreements with ECPC, nexo standards and the Berlin Group to build digital euro payments on open European technical standards rather than proprietary card infrastructure. The move is designed to lower integration costs, expand acceptance and reduce Europe’s dependence on non-European payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard.

Open rails become the strategic foundation

The agreements cover three critical payment layers. ECPC’s CPACE standard will support contactless tap-to-pay payments, nexo standards will connect merchant terminals and PSP back-end systems, and Berlin Group specifications will support payments using aliases such as mobile numbers. The ECB said more standards may be added over time.

For merchants and payment providers, the practical benefit is lower dependency on closed acceptance networks. Reusing existing European standards could limit terminal upgrades, reduce licensing friction and make it easier for national schemes and PSPs to scale digital euro acceptance across borders.

Legislation remains the decisive gate

The technical architecture is advancing, but issuance still depends on EU legislation. The European Parliament’s economic affairs committee vote has reportedly moved from May 5 to June 23, while the ECB continues to say that legislation must be in place in 2026 to preserve the target timeline.

The ECB is still targeting pilot work in 2027 and a possible launch in 2029, contingent on legal approval and successful implementation. Reuters previously reported that the central bank hopes to begin a pilot by mid-2027 if lawmakers complete the framework on time.

For banks, acquirers and PSPs, the message is clear: technical preparation can begin before issuance is certain. If lawmakers approve the framework, Europe’s payments sector faces a multi-year transition toward a public, interoperable payment rail. If the vote stalls further, card networks retain their structural advantage while investment decisions remain in limbo.