Standing Up for Cash: A Coalition Meets MEP Fernando Navarrete Rojas in Brussels to Defend Legal Tender

By Frane Maroevic, Director General, International Currency Association

On Friday, 27 June, a delegation of Trade Associations and Organisations, which strongly advocate for the benefits of cash in society that support cash, met with Fernando Navarrete Rojas MEP, Rapporteur on the draft EU Regulation on legal tender and the digital euro, at the European Parliament.

Representing a coalition of organisations including the International Currency Organisation, ESTA, EURICPA, Cash Essentials and Bargeld Zählt! e.V., the delegation reiterated its collective stance: that euro cash must remain a universally accepted legal tender across the eurozone. Their joint letter, originally sent in April, called for cash to be recognised as an essential and irreplaceable pillar of public infrastructure.

Cash as Freedom, Not Nostalgia

At the heart of the coalition’s argument lies the principle of freedom of choice. As outlined in their formal statement, “The regulation will not force anyone to use cash… it will ensure that each citizen has the right and the freedom to choose the means of payment.” The group firmly opposes any provisions that would allow individual retailers or institutions to arbitrarily refuse cash, arguing that such allowances run counter to the Regulation’s purpose and undermine the EU’s monetary policy, which is an exclusive EU competence.

"Cash is the only form of public money that functions without intermediaries, power, or connectivity,” said Frane Maroevic, Director General of the ICA, “It is uniquely reliable—especially in times of disaster, cyberattack, or crisis—when digital systems often falter.”

The coalition warned that without robust legal protection, cash could be sidelined in favour of private digital payment systems that introduce dependencies, surveillance risks, and potential vulnerabilities in times of crisis.

Recent calls by the European Commission to include physical cash in emergency kits have only underscored its continued necessity in safeguarding public resilience during natural disasters, cyberattacks or geopolitical disruptions.

A Thoughtful Voice in Parliament

MEP Navarrete Rojas, speaking just last week during a plenary debate in Strasbourg, struck a balanced tone on the issue of digital finance. “Technology is simply an enabler,” he stated on 18 June. “It is up to us, as policymakers, to guide its use toward the general interest... The goal is common: for citizens to be able to pay easily, securely, and freely throughout Europe.”

He warned against a blind rush toward singular digital solutions, adding, “Let’s not throw away this opportunity by betting everything on one card, dazzled by novelty. Let’s set a shared ambition and fearlessly explore what different payment solutions can offer citizens.”

His remarks strongly echoed the coalition’s call for a pluralistic and inclusive payments ecosystem.

The Regulation and Its Discontents

The proposed Legal Tender Regulation aims to formalise what many assumed was already law: that euro cash must be accepted throughout the eurozone. While Article 128 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union establishes cash as legal tender, its operational reality has been muddied by the lack of binding enforcement.

Retailers, banks, and even public institutions have increasingly embraced a cashless logic, often displaying signs that read “cash not accepted here.” The coalition argues this is not merely a commercial choice but a constitutional contradiction—one that undermines the EU’s monetary unity and excludes the cash-dependent.

The delegation urged the rapporteur and fellow legislators to remove or tightly restrict such exemptions in the final text, echoing the European Central Bank’s own concerns.

What Is at Stake?

As Europe grapples with digital acceleration and AI-driven governance, Friday’s meeting was a timely reminder: progress without plurality can become perilously close to coercion.

The meeting concluded with a renewed sense of alignment between the coalition and the MEP on the importance of ensuring genuine freedom of payment. As legislative work continues on the draft Regulation, the coalition urged Parliament to enshrine legal certainty for the use of cash, and to reject any text that dilutes this fundamental principle.

For millions of Europeans, especially the elderly, rural residents, and the unbanked, cash remains more than a payment tool—it is a guarantee of independence, dignity, and access. The coalition’s message is clear: protecting legal tender status for euro cash is not a nostalgic gesture, but a democratic imperative.