银行业高管称 欧洲亟需推出Visa和万事达的本土替代方案

Core Viewpoint - Europe needs to reduce its dependence on American payment giants like Visa and Mastercard, as their market dominance could be used as leverage in deteriorating US-EU relations [1][4]. Group 1: Current Situation and Concerns - The European Payments Initiative (EPI) CEO Martina Weimert highlighted the excessive reliance on international payment solutions, stating that there is currently no cross-regional payment solution available [1][4]. - In 2022, nearly two-thirds of card transactions in the Eurozone were processed by Visa and Mastercard, with 13 Eurozone member countries lacking any local alternatives [1][4]. - As cash usage declines, European officials are increasingly worried that a serious breakdown in US-EU relations could lead to American payment companies using their market power as a tool for pressure [1][5]. Group 2: Initiatives and Developments - The EPI, which includes major banks like BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank, plans to launch a European digital payment product called Wero in 2024, which has already gained 48.5 million users in Belgium, France, and Germany [2][5]. - The European Central Bank (ECB) is advancing the development of a digital euro, which aims to facilitate digital cross-border payments within the Eurozone and strengthen the EU's monetary sovereignty [6]. - The ECB plans to issue digital euro tokens by 2029, requiring merchants in the Eurozone to support digital euro payments both online and offline [6][7]. Group 3: Challenges and Future Outlook - There are significant divisions in European politics regarding the digital euro project, with some financial institutions lobbying against it, arguing it could undermine private sector efforts [6][7]. - Aurore Lalucq, chair of the European Parliament's Economic Committee, believes the digital euro could provide a foundation for a local payment system to rival Visa and Mastercard once the industry consolidates [7]. - Weimert cautioned that if geopolitical tensions escalate, the launch of the digital euro might be too late, as it may not be operational until after the end of Trump's presidency [4][7].