Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel visited the House of the Euro in Brussels; year-end legislation, 2029 digital euro.

Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel visited the House of the Euro in Brussels; year-end legislation, 2029 digital euro.

Bundesbank President Nagel at the House of the Euro in BrusselsCIC-Newsletter – May 2026

Bundesbank President Nagel at the House of the Euro in BrusselsCIC-Newsletter – May 2026

Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel visited the House of the Euro in Brussels on 22 April 2026. Attention centred on dialogue with the central bank representatives located there, as well as on an evening event discussing the digital euro and Europe’s strategic autonomy.

Mr Nagel already met central bank representatives in the House of the Euro in the afternoon. Following introductory remarks by the Bundesbank President, colleagues from the European Central Bank, as well as the central banks of Ireland, Malta, Slovenia, France and Italy, exchanged views on their work and experiences in Brussels and their joint projects. The House of the Euro allows for close cooperation between the central banks under one roof in Brussels, which has existed in this form for more than two years now. The regular exchange of expertise, the short distances between the representatives and events at the House of the Euro highlight the value for the dialogue between European central banks and institutions in Brussels. The House of the Euro is thus not only a location in close proximity to theEU,but also a forum for continuous exchange on current monetary, financial and European policy.

In the evening, President Nagel delivered a keynote speech at the House of the Euro: “The Digital Euro: Anchoring Europe’s Strategic Autonomy in a Digital Future”. Nagel emphasized the need to make Europe’s payment infrastructure more independent and resilient. He emphasized that the digital euro is not intended to replace cash but to complement it. “With this digital complement to cash, we will renew the role of central bank money in an increasingly digital world,” Nagel said. It could help overcome the fragmentation of the European payments market and serve as a foundation for innovation and efficiency. A key aspect of the digital euro is securing European sovereignty in payments. Currently, around two-thirds of card payments in Europe are processed via non-European infrastructures – a significant dependency. The digital euro could reduce these dependencies and strengthen Europe’s ability to act independently. Nagel expressed optimism that the digital euro could be introduced soon. “I strongly believe that the legislative process can be concluded by the end of the year, paving the way for a digital euro that embodies Europe’s vision of sovereignty,” he said. The first issuance of the digital euro would then be possible from 2029 onwards.

Following the speech, Mr Nagel was joined by José Antonio Álvarez (Santander), Isabelle Buscke (Finance Watch), Stelios A. Georgakis (Central Bank of Cyprus) and Michael Hager (European Commission) for a panel discussion on how the digital euro can strengthen Europe´s strategic autonomy in a digitalised future.

The event, which was attended by more than 90 participants, underscored the great interest in the future of European payments. At the same time, the visit highlighted the importance of the House of the Euro as a place of specialist dialogue, institutional interconnectedness and European cooperation between central banks.

The Deutsche Bundesbank’s Representative Office in Brussels has been located in the House of the Euro since October 2023. It is the Bundesbank’s interface with European institutions and other stakeholders. It monitors the European financial and monetary agenda, maintains dialogue withEUinstitutions, associations and think tanks, and plays a part in introducing the Bundesbank’s viewpoints to the European debate. In addition, the Bundesbank maintains representative offices in New York and Tokyo in order to be present in key financial centres and to strengthen international dialogue.

FotoliaGreen FinanceClimate change poses huge challenges for the financial sector, too. TheBundesbanksupports the transition to a low-carbon economy.Green Financebackhide navigationOverview BundesbankOrganisationbackOverview OrganisationExecutive BoardbackOverview Executive BoardProfessor Joachim NagelDr Sabine MaudererBurkhard BalzLutz LienenkämperMichael TheurerProfessor Fritzi Köhler-GeibCOO and DirectoratesCompliance and legal regulationsGTC and legal basisMission Statement and Strategy of the BundesbankThe Bundesbank: key figuresDirectionsRegional Offices and branchesbackOverview Regional Offices and branchesBaden-WürttembergbackOverview Baden-WürttembergBranchesPresidentBavariabackOverview BavariaBranchesPresidentBerlin and BrandenburgbackOverview Berlin and BrandenburgBranchPresidentBremen, Lower Saxony and Saxony-AnhaltbackOverview Bremen, Lower Saxony and Saxony-AnhaltBranchesPresidentHamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Schleswig-HolsteinbackOverview Hamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Schleswig-HolsteinBranchesPresidentHessebackOverview HesseBranchPresidentNorth Rhine-WestphaliabackOverview North Rhine-WestphaliaBranchesPresidentRhineland-Palatinate and SaarlandbackOverview Rhineland-Palatinate and SaarlandBranchesPresidentSaxony and ThuringiabackOverview Saxony and ThuringiaBranchesPresidentResearch and Research DatabackOverview Research and Research DataResearch CentrebackOverview Research CentreResearch Professors, Research Council and Research FellowsResearch Areas and ProgrammePeopleResearch BriefDiscussion PapersRefereed PublicationsSeminarsInvited Speakers SeriesResearch Data and Service CentrebackOverview Research Data and Service CentreResearch DataYour research project at the RDSCAbout the RDSCINEXDAPublicationsConferencesResearch Visit and InternshipPanel on Household Finances (PHF)backOverview Panel on Household Finances (PHF)About the PHFMethodologyUser-DocumentationData access and data protectionLinks and documentsSurvey on Consumer Expectations (BOP‑HH)Survey of firms (BOP-F)Green FinanceLibrary and archivesbackOverview Library and archivesLibraryHistorical archiveEuro pavilionArtbackOverview ArtExhibitions & viewing timesPaintings and works on paperSculptures and installationsPublicationsNumismaticsbackOverview NumismaticsCollectionSelected objectsPictures archivePublicationsExhibitionNumismatic libraryContactMoney MuseumbackOverview Money MuseumVisitor InformationExhibitionsOffers for GroupsLecturesMuseum discovery toursHistoryInternational Central Bank DialoguebackOverview International Central Bank DialogueAbout usInternational Central Banking CoursesbackOverview International Central Banking CoursesApplication procedurePast coursesBilateral cooperationEU-funded projectsFrequently asked questionsRepresentative networkNewsletterContactEurosystem

Climate change poses huge challenges for the financial sector, too. TheBundesbanksupports the transition to a low-carbon economy.

OrganisationbackOverview OrganisationExecutive BoardbackOverview Executive BoardProfessor Joachim NagelDr Sabine MaudererBurkhard BalzLutz LienenkämperMichael TheurerProfessor Fritzi Köhler-GeibCOO and DirectoratesCompliance and legal regulationsGTC and legal basisMission Statement and Strategy of the BundesbankThe Bundesbank: key figuresDirections

Executive BoardbackOverview Executive BoardProfessor Joachim NagelDr Sabine MaudererBurkhard BalzLutz LienenkämperMichael TheurerProfessor Fritzi Köhler-Geib

Mission Statement and Strategy of the Bundesbank

Regional Offices and branchesbackOverview Regional Offices and branchesBaden-WürttembergbackOverview Baden-WürttembergBranchesPresidentBavariabackOverview BavariaBranchesPresidentBerlin and BrandenburgbackOverview Berlin and BrandenburgBranchPresidentBremen, Lower Saxony and Saxony-AnhaltbackOverview Bremen, Lower Saxony and Saxony-AnhaltBranchesPresidentHamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Schleswig-HolsteinbackOverview Hamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Schleswig-HolsteinBranchesPresidentHessebackOverview HesseBranchPresidentNorth Rhine-WestphaliabackOverview North Rhine-WestphaliaBranchesPresidentRhineland-Palatinate and SaarlandbackOverview Rhineland-Palatinate and SaarlandBranchesPresidentSaxony and ThuringiabackOverview Saxony and ThuringiaBranchesPresident

Overview Regional Offices and branches

Berlin and BrandenburgbackOverview Berlin and BrandenburgBranchPresident

Bremen, Lower Saxony and Saxony-AnhaltbackOverview Bremen, Lower Saxony and Saxony-AnhaltBranchesPresident

Overview Bremen, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt

Hamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Schleswig-HolsteinbackOverview Hamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Schleswig-HolsteinBranchesPresident

Overview Hamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein

Rhineland-Palatinate and SaarlandbackOverview Rhineland-Palatinate and SaarlandBranchesPresident

Saxony and ThuringiabackOverview Saxony and ThuringiaBranchesPresident

Research and Research DatabackOverview Research and Research DataResearch CentrebackOverview Research CentreResearch Professors, Research Council and Research FellowsResearch Areas and ProgrammePeopleResearch BriefDiscussion PapersRefereed PublicationsSeminarsInvited Speakers SeriesResearch Data and Service CentrebackOverview Research Data and Service CentreResearch DataYour research project at the RDSCAbout the RDSCINEXDAPublicationsConferencesResearch Visit and InternshipPanel on Household Finances (PHF)backOverview Panel on Household Finances (PHF)About the PHFMethodologyUser-DocumentationData access and data protectionLinks and documentsSurvey on Consumer Expectations (BOP‑HH)Survey of firms (BOP-F)

Overview Research and Research Data

Research CentrebackOverview Research CentreResearch Professors, Research Council and Research FellowsResearch Areas and ProgrammePeopleResearch BriefDiscussion PapersRefereed PublicationsSeminarsInvited Speakers Series

Research Professors, Research Council and Research Fellows

Research Data and Service CentrebackOverview Research Data and Service CentreResearch DataYour research project at the RDSCAbout the RDSCINEXDAPublications

Overview Research Data and Service Centre

Your research project at the RDSC

Panel on Household Finances (PHF)backOverview Panel on Household Finances (PHF)About the PHFMethodologyUser-DocumentationData access and data protectionLinks and documents

Overview Panel on Household Finances (PHF)

Data access and data protection

Survey on Consumer Expectations (BOP‑HH)

Library and archivesbackOverview Library and archivesLibraryHistorical archive

ArtbackOverview ArtExhibitions & viewing timesPaintings and works on paperSculptures and installationsPublications

Paintings and works on paper

NumismaticsbackOverview NumismaticsCollectionSelected objectsPictures archivePublicationsExhibitionNumismatic libraryContact

Money MuseumbackOverview Money MuseumVisitor InformationExhibitionsOffers for GroupsLecturesMuseum discovery tours

International Central Bank DialoguebackOverview International Central Bank DialogueAbout usInternational Central Banking CoursesbackOverview International Central Banking CoursesApplication procedurePast coursesBilateral cooperationEU-funded projectsFrequently asked questionsRepresentative networkNewsletterContact

Overview International Central Bank Dialogue

International Central Banking CoursesbackOverview International Central Banking CoursesApplication procedurePast courses

Overview International Central Banking Courses

Tasks© European Central BankDigital euroInformation on the project Digital EuroDigital eurobackhide navigationOverview TasksMonetary policybackOverview Monetary policyMonetary policy decisionsEconomic analysesMonetary policy frameworkOpen market operationsbackOverview Open market operationsOutstanding open market operationsTender calendar and systemTest Operational ReadinessRegular refinancing and fine-tuning operationsForeign currency transactionsPSPP AuctionsCollateralbackOverview CollateralEligibility criteriaBundesbank’s tasksMobilisation of collateralCounterparty informationDownl