EPFSF Briefing: Payment Services Directive

21 February 2006

The EPFSF issued a briefing paper on its last meeting held on Tuesday on the forthcoming payment services directive. The use of payment instruments varies significantly from country to country since each Member State has tailored standards and practices to the needs of domestic users and the requirements of national legislation, the paper states. Furthermore, the vast majority of payments are still domestic which has resulted in established and distinctive national payment systems that are not compatible at EU level.

The European payments Infrastructure is also fragmented with differences in technology, processes, standards, services and communication used by the clearing and settlement schemes. With the introduction of the Euro, this fragmentation became even more apparent. The EU institutions, together with industry, have pro actively sought to remedy this situation. The European Commission has taken regulatory action while industry has responded with self-regulatory initiatives.

Briefing paper

© EPFSF - European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum