Austrian National Bank hosts digital euro financial inclusion event and publishes working group report on barriers and design options

The Austrian National Bank (OeNB) held a discussion event on “A digital euro for all” focused on how a digital euro, framed as a public good and a complement to cash, could support financial inclusion by enabling broader participation in digital payments. Governor Robert Holzmann tied the discussion to the central bank’s role in providing unrestricted access to public money, noting that cash remains Austria’s most used payment method and that a digital euro is intended to provide an equivalent option for digital transactions. The event brought together experts from ministries, research bodies, the financial sector and organisations representing vulnerable groups, with sessions on inclusive design and user-centred features, including barriers faced by disadvantaged people in electronic payments. A supporting report prepared by a working group of the Austrian Forum on the Digital Euro, together with representatives of vulnerable groups and financial service providers, analyses access barriers, sets out diverse user needs and proposes potential measures, including considerations for selecting a public body to provide payment and support services related to the digital euro. The release reiterates that the digital euro project is in a preparatory phase and is envisaged as free to use, available both online and offline, and intended to provide secure and generally accepted access to central bank money in the digital environment.