EPC public consultations

The European Payments Council has launched the public consultations on possible modifications to be introduced into:
- SEPA credit transfer scheme rulebook;
- SEPA core direct debit scheme rulebook;
- SEPA business-to-business direct debit scheme rulebook and
- SEPA cards standartisation volume.

The final date of consultations on SEPA rulebooks, which foresee to introduce legal and operational changes, is 15 September 2009.

By the consultation's final date, the stakeholders are invited to provide their comments on SEPA change requests submitted by SEPA market participants and the European Payments Council's (EPC) SEPA Payment Schemes Working Group by completing the change request templates published on the EPC web site. The EPC SEPA Payment Schemes Working Group has evaluated the change requests against criteria defined in the SEPA Scheme Management Internal Rules and presented its opinion in the change request templates, which can be accepted by the stakeholders or rejected providing comments. At the end of the consultation period, the completed change request documents shall be submitted to the EPC Plenary for approval. It is planned that the legal changes shall take effect on 2 November 2009, but operational changes – in November 2010 with the release of the further versions of the rulebooks.

The SEPA Working Group of the Association of Latvian Commercial Banks examined the consultation documents and prepared an opinion on the consultation issues ( 260 KB). Inter alia, the issues have been reviewed by the National SEPA Working Group at its ad hoc meeting on 27 July 2009. The consolidated response of the Working Group shall be forwarded to the EPC.

The final date of consultation on SEPA cards standardisation volume is 30 October 2009. The changes incorporate an update of the functional aspects of the cards standardisation volume in respect of the e-commerce and MOTO (Mobile Orders and Telephone Orders) as well as an update of the related definitions. The consultation issues are being examined in written consultation by the SEPA Cards Framework Sub-group of the National SEPA Working Group.