European Card Payment Cooperation (ECPC), nexo standards und Berlin Group werden bei der Realisierung des digitalen Euro mit der EZB zusammenarbeiten. Mithilfe von Standards sollen europäische Zahlungslösungen Kosten minimieren, die geografische Reichweite vergrößern und Anwendungsfälle diversifizieren können. Durch die Verabschiedung der Verordnung zur Einführung des digitalen Euro durch die EU-Gesetzgeber soll Potenzial erschlossen und den Marktakteuren Sicherheit mit Blick auf künftige Investitionen im Zahlungsverkehr geboten werden.

It is not wise to outsource our sovereignty, said Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel in a speech at the House of the Euro in Brussels. He gave this speech at an event on the digital euro and its importance for Europe’s strategic autonomy. Mr Nagel stressed the need to make Europe’s payment infrastructure more independent and more resilient. The digital euro provides this opportunity, Mr Nagel said. 

To simplify the process of meeting reporting deadlines, reporting dates are to be harmonised.

The European Union and the ECB have changed the underlying legal conditions for cash processing outside central banks, thereby establishing a binding and harmonised legal framework.

General government debt in Germany increased by €144 billion in 2025 to €2.84 trillion. Central government debt, including its off-budget entities, grew by €107 billion. 

The change in the global world order and economic system isn’t a temporary phenomenon. Globalisation and digitalisation mean this change will be a perpetual process, First Deputy Governor Sabine Mauderer announced at a symposium organised by the Institute for Banking and Financial History (IBF) and the Center for Financial Studies (CFS). Hosted by the Bundesbank’s Regional Office in Hesse, this event saw participants discuss how trade conflicts can impact on the global economic system. Bundesbank Executive Board member Fritzi Köhler-Geib spoke on a panel about the outlook for the German and European economy.

In spite of ongoing strains and additional headwinds as a result of the war in the Middle East, real gross domestic product (GDP) is likely to have increased slightly in the first quarter of 2026 after seasonal adjustment, says the Bundesbank in its April Monthly Report. Nonetheless, industry is suffering from structural barriers to growth, which are undermining its competitive position. Furthermore, the significant rise in fuel prices in March has weighed heavily on households’ purchasing power. The Bundesbank’s experts anticipate that inflation will remain significantly elevated over the coming months as well.