On Wednesday 18 February, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced the launch of a collaboration with the ONCE foundation, an organisation committed to cooperation and social inclusion of people with disabilities, to ensure that the digital euro is accessible to everyone, including senior citizens and those with poor digital skills.
The partnership includes technical advice, participation in the design of the digital currency’s IT system and accessibility testing of the prototypes. The ECB says it wants to integrate “accessibility by design” to provide a simple, clear and inclusive experience, including such features as voice transactions and guided sign-up paths.
ECB enhances repo facility for central banks. On Saturday 14 February, the ECB announced it was to enhance its EUREP facility (Eurosystem Repo Facility for Central Banks), which lends euros to central banks outside the euro area against high-quality euro-denominated collateral, in order to prevent liquidity shortages that could disrupt the markets.
The system will now offer standing access in principle to most central banks, with entry into force scheduled for the third quarter of 2026. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)