Key Points

• 18 European organizations warn that cash acceptance and access are at risk without binding protections.
• Current exceptions to proposed regulation threaten resilience, inclusion and everyday use of cash.
• The joint statement outlines four essential actions to ensure cash remains fully accessible to all Europeans.

Momentum in support of cash has been growing in Europe, with legislators, regulators and governments increasingly voicing support for the role of physical currency in resilience, inclusion, and freedom of choice. Missing, however, are specific, binding measures that are necessary to translate generalized support into durable protections. As trilogue negotiations on the EU Legal Tender Regulation reach their critical phase, the gap between political sentiment and practical safeguards has become increasingly evident — and increasingly risky. Without clear obligations and enforceable rules, cash acceptance and access can erode quietly through exceptions, weak oversight, and shrinking infrastructure.

Today, 18 organizations from across Europe’s cash and consumer ecosystem have come together to issue a joint call to the co legislators. This coordinated intervention reflects both the urgency of the moment and the seriousness of the risks now emerging in the final stages of trilogue negotiations on the EU Legal Tender Regulation.

As the joint statement makes clear, cash is far more than a payment instrument. It is “a cornerstone of our sovereignty, monetary system, freedom of choice, privacy and financial inclusion — and an essential component of European resilience.” When digital systems fail, cash continues to work. When commercial interests shift, cash remains the only form of public money that guarantees universal access.

Adding further exceptions to mandatory cash acceptance would progressively erode Europeans’ ability to use cash.

But this resilience can only be preserved if the Regulation is robust, clear and enforceable. The eight organizations warn that additional exceptions to mandatory acceptance — now under discussion — would progressively erode Europeans’ ability to use cash in everyday life. Security concerns, they argue, must be addressed through proper infrastructure and safeguards, not through restricting acceptance.

The joint statement outlines four essential actions the co legislators must take:

• End “no cash” excuses. Unilateral refusals — from “no cash” signs to hidden contractual terms — must be prohibited. Numerical thresholds should prevent unfair rejection of common banknotes.
• Protect essential services. No citizen should be denied transport, fuel or pharmacy access because they carry cash. Exceptions for unmanned points of sale must be tightly defined to prevent de facto exclusion.
• Ensure strong, binding enforcement. Voluntary guidelines are not enough. Europe needs common indicators and effective redress when companies systematically refuse cash.
• Guarantee access via banks. Cash back is a complement, not a substitute. Banks must retain primary responsibility for maintaining a wide, reliable network of ATMs and branches.

The recommendations come at a critical time, as the Legal Tender Regulation will determine whether cash remains a fully functional part of Europe’s monetary ecosystem — or whether its role is gradually hollowed out through exceptions, weak enforcement and shrinking access points. The International Security Ligue’s Cash Chapter is proud to stand with partners across Europe in calling for a Regulation that is simple, strong, and future proof. Protecting cash means protecting resilience, inclusion and freedom of choice for more than 450 million Europeans.

The joint statement (available here) is endorsed by 18 organizations from across Europe’s cash and consumer ecosystem, listed with links below.