Confirmation of November 2009 as the launch date for the SEPA Direct Debit Schemes

The Plenary resolved to mandate the EPC Scheme Management Committee to start its task of approving the required SDD adherence agreements for the two SEPA Direct Debit Schemes by 1 May 2009 so as to enable banks to start offering SEPA Direct Debit Services from 2 November 2009 onwards. The Plenary also approved the guidelines for adherence to the SEPA Direct Debit Schemes (the SDD Adherence Guide). For further details please see the articles "SEPA Direct Debit: the Green Light" and "The Doors are open: Guidelines for adherence to the two SEPA Direct Debit Schemes now available".

Approval of the SEPA Core Direct Debit Scheme Rulebook version 3.3 and adjacent deliverables

The Plenary approved the SEPA Core Direct Debit Rulebook version 3.3 and the related Interbank Implementation Guidelines and Customer-to-bank Implementation Guidelines. In addition, the Plenary approved the Implementation Guidelines for the e-Mandate XML messages (the SEPA Core Direct Debit Rulebook version 3.3 and adjacent documentation is available at www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu / SEPA Direct Debit).

Version 3.2 of the Rulebook approved in December 2008 featured the inclusion of the rules for the e-Mandate solution as an optional service for Core SDD Scheme Participants to deploy. It was documented as a separate annex (Annex VII) specifically to facilitate those who are intending to offer it. As indicated in December 2008, the following non-operational changes have now been made:

• The rules facilitating the legal validity of mandates given by customers for the current national legacy direct debit services also to be used for services based on the SEPA Scheme have been finalised. They assist Scheme Participants in avoiding breach of the Rulebook in respect of legacy mandates. They do not impose any obligation on Scheme Participants or (national) communities of the current legacy schemes to carry out migration of legacy mandates in any particular way (or at all). For further details please see the article "Creditors: Help is here. EPC introduces rules on the use of legacy mandates under the SDD Scheme".
• Residual legal issues have been addressed
• Annex I relating to the adherence agreement was modified in accordance with the agreed SDD Adherence Guide.

In addition, minor modifications have been made to:

• accommodate the participation of non-EEA countries in the Scheme
• to clarify section 5.16 on the application of the Payment Services Directive between Participants from 1 November 2009
• to clarify section 5.9 relating to liability of Scheme Participants.

As usual, the change list in Annex III of the Rulebook gives details of those changes made and a new Annex VIII lists the major differences in the Scheme between the use of paper or e-mandates.

Version 3.3 of the Core SDD Rulebook is the basis for the implementation of the Core SDD Scheme from November 2009, replacing version 3.2 of the SDD Core Scheme.

Scheme Participants shall be contractually bound by the provisions of the SDD Core Rulebook version 3.4 as approved by the EPC September 2009 Plenary and published on the EPC website immediately afterwards. The SDD Core Rulebook version 3.4 shall become effective on the launch date (2 November 2009). The changes to be made to the current SDD Core Rulebook (version 3.3) will not have any operational impact on the Scheme and are detailed already in Annex IX of the SDD Core Rulebook version 3.3. For further details please see the article "The Preview: Rulebook Release Management 2009".

Approval of the SEPA B2B DD Scheme Rulebook version 1.2 for public consultation

For details regarding the ongoing public consultation of the SEPA B2B Direct Debit Scheme Rulebook please see the article "SEPA B2B Direct Debit Scheme: the E-Mandate Feature. Public consultation going on now".

Approval of the EPC M-Channel Roadmap

The Plenary approved the EPC Roadmap for M-Payments. Going forward, proximity payments should be addressed as a priority. For further details please see the article "SEPA at your Fingertips" in this Newsletter.

Approval of recommendations regarding SEPA Migration

The Plenary agreed the EPC position on an end date for migration of the current euro payment services of banks to services based on  the SEPA Schemes. For further details please refer to the article EA22A0-CBF5-8E18-7A01D2C6A1750EB5">"SEPA only: The EPC Vision" in this Newsletter.

Approval to accept the application of Monaco to join SEPA

The Plenary approved the application of the Principality of Monaco to join SEPA and, consequently, the eligible Monegasque institutions are permitted to adhere to SEPA Schemes in accordance with the relevant EPC adherence procedures.

Herman Segers is the Secretary General of the EPC.