The Council of the European Union has adopted a negotiating position that backs the ECB’s proposed caps on digital euro holdings, including a ceiling in the €3.000–€4.000 range and an offline payment feature. The move advances the design framework but leaves final approval contingent on reconciliation with the European Parliament and subsequent legislative votes.
The Council formally endorsed a framework that sets individual holding limits for the digital euro at approximately €3.000–€4.000, a ceiling intended to prevent the CBDC from becoming a dominant store of value and triggering large outflows from commercial bank deposits. Holding limits are regulatory ceilings on how much central-bank-issued digital currency a person may possess at any one time.
The Council also pushed for an offline mode that preserves user privacy during transactions; offline mode enables payments without a continuous internet connection by relying on secure device-to-device protocols. The adopted position mandates that the ECB review the overall caps every two years to ensure the rules remain aligned with macroeconomic conditions.
Timeline, process and institutional next steps
EU finance ministers finalised procedural details on setting the holding limits during Eurogroup meetings on 19 de sep. de 2025, according to the Council’s documentation. The ECB has completed its technical preparations and continues development and testing, yet the project requires alignment between the Council’s position and the European Parliament’s priorities before either chamber can approve legislation.
The Council’s timetable envisages legislative enactment in 2026 and leaves open a potential issuance date in 2029, subject to the successful conclusion of the legislative process.
The caps are calibrated to limit deposit migration from commercial banks to central-bank liabilities, thereby protecting bank liquidity and lending capacity. The emphasis on an offline, privacy-focused variant also signals a policy trade-off between usability and safeguards against illicit finance, with the Council aiming to balance consumer privacy and compliance.
