Like many central banks around the globe, the European Central Bank (ECB) investigates and prepares for a probable launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the “digital euro”. Most of CBDCs remain at an early stage but it seems clear that they offer new possibilities for innovation within the payment system.

The current investigation phase run by the ECB is the proper time for a broader policy discussion about potential benefits or drawbacks of CBDCs, and especially about how various design options - the overall payment architecture and transfer mechanisms - relate to various policy objectives.

The round-table will explore four dimensions of this relationship:

• Inclusiveness: can the digital euro guarantee universal access to digital money?
• Fair costs for users: can the digital euro not only reduce overall costs for payment and account services but also ensure that these costs do not fall disproportionately on specific user groups, as is often the case at present?
• Privacy: can the digital euro improve data protection for users and safeguard anonymity in payments?
• Resilience of the payment system: can a digital euro improve the reliability of the payment system in case of extreme events (blackouts, natural disasters, cyber attacks…)?

The round-table will be public, online, and in english. It is organised by the Veblen Institute for Economic reforms. Read our contributions to the debate here

Panel:

• Evelien Witlox, Program Director Digital Euro, European Central Bank
• Jan Ceyssens, Head of "Digital Finance" unit at DG FISMA, European Commission
• Paul Tang, member of the European Parliament
• Anna Martin, Financial Services Officer, BEUC
• Tristan Dissaux, researcher at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and coordinator of the Digital Euro Watch at the Veblen Institute
  Introduction : Wojtek Kalinowski, co-director of the Veblen Institute.
  Moderator : Vicky Van Eyck, executive director of Positive Money Europe.

Agenda:
10’ introduction
10’ presentation by each panellist, outlining his/her vision of the most appropriate design options for a digital euro in relation to the four issues to be discussed
30’ discussion among the panellists
30’ Q&A with the public