The European Union is working on the development of a digital euro to reduce its dependence on payment systems from outside Europe.

歐盟目前正在研發數位歐元，以減少對歐洲以外支付系統的依賴。

The push for a digital euro comes from a concern that the EU relies too heavily on U.S.-based payment providers, such as Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. This is seen as a strategic risk, especially since financial networks can be used as political tools, as seen with the 2025 sanctions against International Criminal Court judges. Consequently, the European Central Bank (ECB) emphasized that a European payment solution is necessary to maintain control over its own money. Currently, about two-thirds of card transactions in the euro area are handled by non-European companies, and most eurozone countries do not have their own national card systems for retail shopping.

推動數位歐元源於對歐盟過於依賴美國支付供應商（如 Visa、Mastercard、Apple Pay 和 Google Pay）的擔憂。這被視為一種戰略風險，特別是因為金融網路可能被用作政治工具，例如 2025 年針對國際刑事法院法官的制裁。因此，歐洲中央銀行（ECB）強調，必須擁有歐洲自己的支付解決方案，才能掌控自身的貨幣。目前，歐元區約三分之二的刷卡交易由非歐洲公司處理，且大多數歐元區國家在零售購物方面缺乏自己的國家卡系統。

Technically, the digital euro is designed as a virtual wallet guaranteed by the ECB but managed by commercial banks or fintech companies. It is intended to work alongside physical cash and existing private payment methods rather than replacing them. To protect user privacy, the system will include an offline mode and anonymity features. To use it, people would need to open an account with a bank or public institution and transfer funds via cash deposits or existing accounts.

在技術上，數位歐元被設計為一個由 ECB 保證但由商業銀行或金融科技公司管理的虛擬錢包。其目的是與實體現金及現有的私人支付方式並行，而非取代它們。為了保護使用者隱私，該系統將包含離線模式和匿名功能。使用者需在銀行或公共機構開立帳戶，並透過現金存款或現有帳戶轉移資金。

However, there is some disagreement between the ECB and the banking sector. The European Banking Federation estimated that the cost of adapting to the new system would be 18 billion euros, whereas the ECB predicts a lower cost of between 4 and 5.8 billion euros. Furthermore, banks have expressed worry that customers might move their deposits out of traditional accounts, which could hurt financial stability. The ECB has countered these claims, asserting that the system is designed to prevent large-scale outflows. Additionally, some banks are concerned that the digital euro might compete with the Wero payment system.

然而，ECB 與銀行業之間存在分歧。歐洲銀行聯盟估計，適應新系統的成本將達 180 億歐元，而 ECB 預測成本較低，約在 40 億至 58 億歐元之間。此外，銀行擔心客戶可能會將存款從傳統帳戶移出，這可能會損害金融穩定。ECB 反駁了這些主張，稱該系統旨在防止大規模資金流出。此外，部分銀行擔心數位歐元可能會與 Wero 支付系統競爭。

After receiving approval from the parliamentary committee, the ECB plans to start a pilot program in 2027, with full implementation expected by 2029.

在獲得議會委員會批准後，ECB 計劃於 2027 年開始試點計畫，預計 2029 年全面實施。