03/04/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 3 April, the European Commission launched a targeted consultation on digital finance to gather stakeholders' views on how to further enable “the emergence of innovative digital financial services in the EU, while considering possible competition issues with Big Tech companies”. Responses to the consultation will contribute to the Commission's reflections in the development of a new strategy on digital finance, which should be presented later this year. On the same day, the Commission launched a second consultation on retail payments, which will also be the subject of an EU strategy for 2020. According to the Commission, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that consumers are increasingly using digital financial services and contactless payments, making innovation in this area more important than ever. Both consultations are open until 26 June. (MF)