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| Patrice Hertzog, (Crédit Mutuel) Member of
the EPC's Card Working Group.
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Since it was established in June 2002, the EPC (European Payments
Council) has been working towards creating a European payment market
by the end of the decade. "We have established a roadmap with
the main dates", indicated Patrice Hertzog, Member of the EPC's
Cards Working Group. "The products must exist by 2008 and be
in place in the majority of countries by 2010 in accordance with one
simple principle: enable cardholders to use their cards as a domestic
means of payment in all SEPA countries."
Bankcard use varies from country to country, and this is reflected
in the variety of systems implemented. "Each country believes
it has the best system", admits Patrice Hertzog, "and the
card business model is not the same everywhere. However, we have to
build something that is in the best interest of all stakeholders -
banks, cardholders, professionals and retailers - if we are to avoid
a solution being imposed on us. It is precisely for this reason that
the banks have to set themselves the target of achieving interoperability,
harmonisation and standardisation."
In this respect, the commitment is high, and cooperation excellent
with the European Commission and the ECB. "We have to devise
a common view of just what the SEPA is", emphasized Patrice Hertzog.
"The banks are keen to build a truly harmonised domestic European
market open to competition." The aim is not to have a super-European
system, but rather to harmonise card use everywhere in Europe." |
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