ECB and ONCE Foundation launch collaboration to ensure digital euro is accessible for everyone

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2026/html/ecb.pr260218~df03cc7ccc.en.html
Success
Service Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) 88% E-Money 65%
Specialism Customer Protection 45% Operational Resilience 35%
2026-02-18 15:10:53 · adavies@vixio.com
ID
2884617
GUID
1b9340df6d137b015ae5d29a6085e642

Classification

Service
Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) (88%)

The update directly concerns the digital euro app development and accessibility features, which is a core CBDC payment use case and regulatory initiative.

E-Money (65%)

Low confidence — requires human review. While the collaboration addresses digital financial inclusion and accessibility for vulnerable consumers, the update focuses on CBDC app design rather than broader payment accessibility or consumer protection rules.

Specialism
Customer Protection (45%)

While the digital euro is a payment instrument, this update focuses on accessibility design collaboration and social inclusion rather than regulatory compliance, prudential standards, or payment system governance.

Operational Resilience (35%)

The emphasis on accessibility features and user-friendly design for vulnerable consumers touches on customer protection principles, but the content is primarily about product design philosophy rather than regulatory rules or consumer safeguards.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank of the European Union countries which have adopted the euro. Our main task is to maintain price stability in the euro area and so preserve the purchasing power of the single currency.

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TITLE: European Central Bank and ONCE Foundation Launch Digital Euro Accessibility Collaboration BODY: On February 18, 2026, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities signed a collaboration agreement to ensure the digital euro app is accessible for all users, including people with disabilities, those with limited digital skills, and older adults. The ECB will leverage the ONCE Foundation's expertise across three key areas: providing technical advice on accessibility requirements and features; collaborating on digital euro app design; and testing accessibility of digital euro app prototypes once available. The collaboration embeds accessibility as a core design principle rather than an optional feature, aligning with the European Accessibility Act and exceeding standard market practice through an "accessibility by design" approach. The ONCE Foundation, a Spanish organisation promoting social inclusion of people with disabilities, will incorporate experts with lived experience of disabilities into the project team, combining technical knowledge with user perspective. Piero Cipollone, ECB Executive Board member and chair of the High-Level Task Force on a digital euro, emphasised that the collaboration ensures "the digital euro empowers every citizen in the digital age, leaving no one behind." Jesús Hernández Galán, Director of Accessibility and Innovation at the ONCE Foundation, highlighted the importance of integrating accessibility features from the project's inception. The collaboration supports digital financial inclusion objectives identified by the Euro Retail Payments Board and the first digital euro innovation platform, which involved approximately 70 market participants. Focus groups with vulnerable consumers identified priorities including multiple onboarding options, in-person support at local branches, and user-friendly features such as voice-controlled transactions, large-font displays, and guided onboarding processes. The non-remunerated collaboration aligns with European regulations on accessibility, fundamental rights, and digital transformation.
  • ✓ Scraped:2026-02-18 15:10:53
  • ✓ Created:2026-02-18 15:10:52
  • ✓ By:adavies@vixio.com (41)