A large majority of German businesses believe that the digital euro planned by the European Central Bank (ECB) is unnecessary. According to findings reported by the “Handelsblatt”, only 7% of companies surveyed anticipate positive effects from the new digital payment method. A significant 77% expect no impact at all, while 17% hold a negative view. The survey did not specify the precise reasons behind the concerns expressed by the remaining businesses.
The Mannheim Center for European Economic Research (ZEW) conducted the survey earlier this year, interviewing 800 companies across sectors including manufacturing, information and communication technology, media, and knowledge-intensive services. Sixty percent of the interviewed companies are aware of the ECB’s digital euro plans, a five percentage point increase compared to the same survey conducted two years ago. Furthermore, less than a third of the surveyed companies foresee needing to make adaptations due to the digital euro, a decrease from the 40% reported in the first survey in early 2024.
Vincent Rost, the lead author of the study, advised “Handelsblatt” that “the ECB should try to highlight the benefits for companies more clearly.” He added that the ECB has so far failed to convince businesses of the positive effects or spark any enthusiasm among them.
