SEPA Customers
SEPA Migration - Reports, Case Studies and Indicators
The EPC Newsletter regularly publishes the latest data available regarding migration to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) (see link below). The EPC Newsletter also highlights lessons learnt by individual businesses and public administrations, who have implemented the SEPA payment schemes based on technical standards developed by international standards bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (see link to customer case studies below).
The European Central Bank (ECB) publishes the SEPA Indicators (see link below), which identify the share of SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) and SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) transactions as a percentage of the total volume of credit transfers and direct debits generated by bank customers. In the area of cards, the ECB SEPA Indicators track, among other things, the progress of EMV roll-out. EMV is an industry standard to implement chip and personal identification number (PIN) security for card transactions to combat fraud. The ECB also makes country-specific SEPA information, including national SEPA migration plans and SEPA-related contact links, available (see link to 'European Central Bank SEPA-by-Country Hub' below). In March 2013 the ECB published its first report on the migration towards SEPA (see link below), which describes the state of play of the migration process in euro area countries towards the creation of a single market for credit transfers and direct debits in euro across Europe, and provides guidance on the management of the transition process.
The European Commission (the Commission) publishes surveys on public administrations' (PA) preparedness and migration to SEPA (see below). In addition to the survey on PA preparedness and migration to SEPA, the Commission publishes separate annual progress reports on the state of SEPA migration as requested by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), which comprises the EU Finance Ministers. The Commission released its third annual progress report on the state of SEPA migration in May 2011. No further updates have been made available.
Get ready for SEPA. Act now!
EU Regulation defines mandatory dedalines for migration to SEPA
In February 2012, the European legislator adopted the 'Regulation (EU) No 260/2012 establishing technical and business requirements for credit transfers and direct debits in euro and amending Regulation (EC) No 924/2009' (the SEPA Regulation), which defines 1 February 2014 as the deadline in the euro area for compliance with the core provisions of this Regulation. In non euro countries, the deadline will be 31 October 2016. Effectively, this means that as of these dates, existing national euro credit transfer and direct debit schemes will be replaced by SCT and SDD. For more information on the SEPA Regulation, refer to these dedicated pages on the EPC Website: SEPA Legal and Regulatory Framework and The EPC Migration Tool Kit: Get Ready for SEPA by 1.2.2014. Act Now!
Selection of articles from the EPC Newsletter and other sources
- European Central Bank: First SEPA Migration Report (March 2013)
- EPC Blog (January 2013): There is Only Plan A: Get Ready for SEPA in the Next Twelve Months in the Euro Area! Latest Data Shows Good Progress in the Corporate Sector Now Preparing for the 1.2.2014 Deadline
- SEPA Regulation published in Official Journal of the European Union. This Regulation Effectively Mandates Migration to SEPA by 1 February 2014 in the Euro Area
- EPC Video: SEPA for Billers. This Film Highlights Aspects Relevant for Businesses and Public Entities Transitioning to SEPA
- EPC Blog Series: Get Ready for SEPA by February 2014. Early Movers on the Customer Side Share Lessons Learnt
- EPC Newsletter: Case Studies Highlighting Successful SEPA Migration Projects of Bank Customers
- EPC Newsletter: Articles Published in the ‘Get Ready for SEPA. Act Now!’ Section Featuring Latest Data on the Progress of SEPA Migration
- EPC Newsletter: Articles Published in the ‘Focus: SEPA Migration’ Section
- European Central Bank SEPA Indicators
- European Central Bank SEPA-by-Country Hub: National SEPA Contact Links; Fact Sheets Providing Country-Specific Information Related to Regulation (EU) 260/2012 (the SEPA Regulation); ‘Traffic Light Indicators’ on SEPA Migration by Country
- European Commission 6th Survey on Public Administrations' Preparedness and Migration to SEPA Credit Transfers and Direct Debit (November 2012)
European Commission Services' 3rd Annual Progress Report on the State of SEPA Migration (May 2011)

