EU-landen gaan extra heffingen schrappen op grensoverschrijdende betalingen (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU finance ministers have unanimously supported a new package of rules for making payments across the union without extra charges. The move could lead to cross-border payment transactions costing the same as payments within one member state.

The so-called Payment Services Directive, adopted on Tuesday (27 March), provides the legal framework for a single payments area - with no national barriers to impede companies from offering their services across borders and no extra fees for consumers to use their debit or credit cards abroad or send money anywhere in the EU.

The European Commission believes that the reduction of costs will save the EU economy €50-100 billion per year and make it simpler and cheaper for Europeans to make cross-border payments.

The package should provide conditions for new types of payment services offered for example by mobile operators or supermarkets. Payment firms will be allowed to issue credit to someone in another country for up to 12 months.

Under the new rules, companies that wire migrant workers' salaries home will be allowed to operate in other EU member states without having a base there, while it will be easier for consumers to set up direct debits to banks in another EU country.

"Assuming that the compromise text is acceptable to the European Parliament, the payment services directive will ensure that consumers benefit from high level of protection and a broader choice of payment services," EU internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy told journalists after the ministerial meeting.

While member states objected to some technical details regarding the new rules, they agreed to go ahead with the legislation and tasked the commission to review its functioning three years after it is implemented at national level - scheduled for November 2009.

Brussels argues that more efficient and competitive payments market should also lead to cuts in fees for basic banking services, for which Europeans pay on average from €34 to as much as €252 per year.