European Payments Council, CSG release version 6.5 of the SEPA Cards Standardisation Volume for public consultation

The newsy released document defines a standard set of requirements to ensure an interoperable and scalable card and terminal infrastructure across SEPA, based on open international card standards. All market participants and interested parties are expected to provide feedback by 14 July 2013.

The European Union authorities driving forward the SEPA programme have identified the need to create harmonised standardisation requirements in the SEPA cards domain early in the process of integrating the market for electronic euro payments. This was reinforced by the European Economic and Financial Affairs Council when it requested that the industry should set the conditions for further standardisation in the area of cards. This request was repeatedly echoed by the European Central Bank.

The CSG is a multi-stakeholder body representing retailers, vendors, processors, card schemes and the EPC. Created in 2009, the CSG develops and maintains the SEPA Cards Standardisation Volume and focuses on a cards standardisation programme that will create a new card services environment, whatever the card product or scheme may be.

The European Payments Council (EPC) is the coordination and decision-making body of the European banking industry in relation to payments. The purpose of the EPC is to support and promote the SEPA.