SEPA

The European Commission and the European Central Bank have embarked on a laudable mission to harmonise electronic payment processing in Europe based on user requirements. The EU Commission is finalising in the summer of 2006 the negotiations about an EU Payments Directive. This Directive is likely to clear away the legal barriers blocking the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) in a manner that satisfies users of payment services.

Through the European Payment Council (EPC), the banks are working on implementing a single European Payments Market. The EPC finalised in March 2006 a set of European payment schemes for core and basic services covering direct debits and credit transfers, a framework for card transactions and a framework for cash to be used by the banking industry to offer their customers in 2008. The focus of the EPC is on interbank arrangements that enable banks to process payments in a uniform manner between themselves. However, the EPC has not engaged with users of payment services in its design efforts and has not delivered a design that is focused on meeting user requirements.

Under Discussion

Realising SEPA Benefits
New Business Models for International Payments
How will regulation shape the global payments landscape
in the next few years
SEPA: Challenges ahead
Beyond SEPA Compliance: managing the strategic
impact and change of business models
What needs to be done to make 2010 a success
Payment processing on the verge of realising SEPA
The future for emerging pan European and Global
Payment infrastructures

Roundtable Invitation

Financial Services Technology will be putting together an exciting and influential roundtable of elite vendors to discuss the main focus areas. Questions will be put to C-level executives leading these individual companies so that they may address the concerns of Europe's financial sector.

The roundtable will be moderated by our journalists and allows the best and brightest to educate our audience through their thought leadership and best practices.