In order for the digital euro to play an anchoring role in the public's trust in central bank money, it must have the status of legal tender, on a par with banknotes, and the highest level of privacy compatible with the public interest, including the need to bar its use for money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Any decision to issue this new form of money will be taken by the ECB Governing Council once the necessary regulatory framework has been completed. The digital euro is an important project, not only to promote competition and innovation in the European payments system with lower costs for users, but also to preserve the euro area's strategic autonomy and monetary sovereignty.