Europe launches consolidated tape to unify stock market data across 130 venues

European equity markets just got something the US has had since the 1970s: a single tape showing stock prices across all major exchanges. EuroCTP B.V., authorized by the European Securities and Markets Authority on July 27, 2026, will begin distributing unified market data on September 14, aggregating feeds from roughly 130 trading venues and approved publication arrangements across the European Union.

The consolidated tape creates a single, standardized data feed. It will include the European Best Bid and Offer, or EBBO, a benchmark that shows the best available prices for buying and selling equities across the entire EU market at any given moment.

EuroCTP is structured as a joint venture headquartered in the Netherlands. It was selected through a competitive process in December 2025, and ESMA has granted it a five-year term to operate the consolidated tape. Distribution will run through dxFeed's platform starting September 14, with a transition period extending through September 30.

Access to the consolidated tape data will be free for non-professional users and regulated entities. Professional users, including institutional traders and data vendors, will pay tiered fees.

That pricing structure is deliberate. The EU has been trying to boost retail participation in its equity markets as part of the broader Savings and Investments Union initiative.