26/01/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 26 January, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced the creation of a special operational unit dedicated to the digital euro project, following a reorganisation of its Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments. This new ‘Digital Euro’ directorate will be active on a temporary basis from 1 February 2024 until 31 January 2026. Following an initial two-year investigation phase launched by the Eurosystem in October 2021, the ECB Governing Council decided in October 2023 to move on to the preparation phase of the digital euro project from 1 November 2023, for an initial estimated period of two years (see EUROPE 13274/29). (EV)