Lunch Events

In 2015 the EU agreed ambitious price regulation on retail payments. Most importantly, the Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR) limited the interchange fees and put a ban on surcharges for most payment transactions under the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2).

During this CEPS-ECRI lunchtime meeting the impact of the price rules on the retail payment sector will be discussed as well as whether there is a need for any revision of these rules. Moreover, a new CEPS-ECRI paper on the same topic is presented.

Sponsored by American Express

The retail payments sector is growing and changing due to ecommerce and new payment offerings such as in-app payments and other mobile offerings. During this CEPS-ECRI lunchtime meeting the impact of those innovations on the retail payment sector will be discussed. Senior practitioners, high-level officials and corporate representatives will focus on issues like whether digitalisation and new legislations are increasing the competition and support for innovation in the retail payments markets? Is there a need for changes in the existing legislation?

In September 2019, Europe’s financial markets will undergo a revolution.

From that date, the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) will require banks to provide API software interfaces, allowing financial upstarts to tap customer data. This new access to bank data is designed to jumpstart fintech innovation, encouraging the creation of a myriad of innovative, secure consumer-friendly services.

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, banks have accumulated about a trillion euro of non-performing loans (NPLs) in their balance sheets. The high levels of NPLs in countries such as Italy, Greece and Portugal constrain their banks’ lending abilities, which causes delays in the countries’ economic recovery.

On 26 June 2009, CEPS hosted a special event to launch a book that thrives to shed some light on the following question: Is diversity in the banking sector a prerequisite for stability and growth?