On 11 November 2026, PANews reported, citing Cointelegraph, that European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone warned EU lawmakers that if digital euro legislation is not finalized in time, the planned 2029 launch could be delayed.
Cipollone called on EU negotiators to reach agreement on the digital euro legislation before the end of 2026. He said a delay in legislation could deepen Europe’s dependence on foreign payment providers.
The ECB plans, if the EU adopts the regulation in 2026, to prepare for a possible first issuance in 2029. Whether to issue, and when, would be decided by the ECB’s Governing Council after the legislation is passed. The central bank is preparing to start a 12-month pilot in the second half of 2027.
These points describe a warning and a conditional preparation timetable, not an enacted rule or a decision that issuance will occur in 2029.
Source: PANews, 11 November 2026, citing Cointelegraph.
