Banks back single euro payment
Businesses and consumers in the 12-country eurozone are set to save money under a new single-payments area for credit and debit cards due to be set up within three years.
The European banking industry will soon pledge to introduce new eurozone payment schemes for electronic credit transfers and direct debits, as well as a unified framework for debit and credit cards, by January 2008. The move comes amid pressure from the European Commission, which had threatened to use legislation to force banks to accelerate moves allowing customers to enjoy the benefits of the EU's single market.
But Charlie McCreevy, EU internal market commissioner, is likely to be disappointed that the new systems will only initially apply to the eurozone, and not to all 25 EU members as originally promised.
Bankers say the single-payments area could have profound effects on consumers and businesses in the eurozone.
Debit and bank account-linked credit cards could be used throughout the 12 countries, whereas at present many cards work only inside their country of issue.
A single formula would apply for credit transfers and direct debits, making life easier for consumers and paving the way for rationalisation of payments systems in businesses and banks.
Mr McCreevy said he wants individuals and business to be able to “make and receive payments within the internal market as easily and inexpensively as they do domestically”.
The decisions by the European Payments Council (EPC), the industry's decision making and co-ordinating body on payments, aim to create the core elements of a single euro payments area (Sepa).
The aim is to complement the euro and the European Union single market by removing technical and legal barriers that impede cross-border payments in the eurozone. A formal announcement of the moves, which were decided in Brussels on March 17, is expected soon.
The new pan-euro payments schemes will operate initially alongside existing payments instruments. According to an EPC “roadmap”, they would gradually supplant national standards and structures so that from 2010 the eurozone should operate as a single domestic payments market.
The schemes for direct debits and credit transfers in euro would allow a multinational company to channel all its payments through one bank account, reducing back-office costs and infrastructure and putting pressure on banks to lower fees.
The instruments would also make cross-border payments easier for small and medium-sized companies.
欧元区银行将创建单一支付体系
欧元区12国计划在3年内建成建立一个信用卡及借记卡单一支付区，这将使这些国家的企业和消费者节省资金。
欧洲银行业不久将承诺，到2008年1月推出用于电子转账和直接付账的欧元区支付体系，以及统一的借记卡和信用卡框架。此举源于欧盟委员会的压力。欧盟委员会此前威胁要立法迫使银行加快推出举措，让顾客享受到欧盟单一市场的好处。
但欧盟内部市场专员查理?麦克里维(Charlie McCreevy)可能会失望，因为新的系统最初将仅适用于欧元区，而不是原先承诺的所有25个欧盟成员国。
银行业人士表示，单一支付区可能会对欧元区的消费者和企业产生深远影响。
借记卡以及与持卡人银行账户挂钩的信用卡将可在12个国家使用，而目前许多银行卡只能在发行国国内使用。
资金转账和直接付账将适用单一支付规则，为消费者带来便利，也为企业和银行支付系统的精简铺平道路。
麦克里维先生说，他希望个人和企业“在欧元区内部市场收款和支付时，能像在国内一样既简便又便宜”。
欧洲支付理事会(EPC)的这些决策，旨在创建单一欧元支付区域(Sepa)的核心要素。欧洲支付理事会是决策和协调支付事务的行业机构。
一开始，新的泛欧支付体系将与现有支付工具一起并行运作。根据欧洲支付理事会的一份“路线图”，这些计划将逐步取代各国的标准和架构，以便从2010年起，欧元区作为一个单一的区内支付市场运作。
欧元直接付账和资金转账的计划实施后，跨国公司将可以通过一个银行账户完成所有支付工作，从而减少后台成本和基础设施，并迫使银行降低收费。
这些支付工具也将便于中小企业进行跨国支付。
