The European Central Bank announced on March 18, 2026, that it has opened applications for payment industry specialists to join two workstreams of its Digital Euro Rulebook Development Group, advancing the project from conceptual design into concrete operational specifications for integrating a central bank digital currency with Europe's existing payment infrastructure.
Workstream G5 will focus on defining the technical standards for how the digital euro interacts with automated teller machines and point-of-sale payment terminals at retail locations. The group will review and develop rulebook proposals covering communication technologies, offline digital euro functionality, and the extent to which existing payment terminal standards can be reused to minimize the cost and complexity of deployment across the eurozone. Workstream B1 will address certification and testing, establishing the approval processes that hardware and software systems must satisfy before operating within the digital euro ecosystem.
Applications are open until April 10, 2026. The ECB is seeking candidates with practical expertise in payment terminal architecture, ATM systems and digital payment certification processes. The recruitment reflects the project's transition from policy and legal frameworks into the engineering specifications required for real-world deployment at scale.
The digital euro project is now in its preparation phase following the October 2023 decision to proceed beyond initial investigation. Payment service provider selection is underway, with a pilot targeted for 2027. The ECB has stated it aims to be ready for a potential first issuance during 2029, contingent on the European Parliament adopting the necessary legislation, with a key vote expected in June 2026. The digital euro is designed to complement existing SEPA instant payment infrastructure, with settlement expected to flow through the ECB's TARGET Instant Payment Settlement platform, which already underpins cross-border instant euro payments across the eurozone.