Europe’s payments landscape is increasingly digital, yet much of the infrastructure supporting everyday transactions is operated by international providers, and no European digital payment solution is accepted across the entire euro area. This dependence raises questions about resilience, economic security, and Europe’s strategic autonomy. A digital euro could offer a secure and accessible form of public money for digital payments, complementing cash and existing private-sector services. This panel, moderated by Anne Marie McKiernan, Director of Financial Operations at the Central Bank of Ireland, will explore whether the digital euro can strengthen European monetary sovereignty while supporting competition, innovation, and consumer choice. The panel will also examine the role banks and payment providers can play in its distribution and adoption.

Panellists will include:

• Joseph Meichenitsch, Executive Director and Member of the Governing Board of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank)
• Eamonn Crowley, CEO of PTSB

Further speakers to be announced.