The European Payments Council (EPC) has published the minutes of the kick‑off meeting of the Routing and/or Verification Mechanisms Multi‑Stakeholder Group (RVM MSG), marking the formal start of this new EPC multi‑stakeholder forum.

The meeting took place online on Wednesday 15 April 2026 and brought together representatives of qualified Routing and/or Verification Mechanisms (RVMs), EPC governance representatives and the EPC Secretariat.

During this first meeting, the EPC Secretariat and the co‑Chairs introduced the mandate, organisation and working arrangements of the RVM MSG, including its Terms of Reference, membership model and interaction with other EPC bodies. The role of the RVM MSG as a formal consultation and information‑exchange forum between the EPC and RVMs supporting the Verification of Payee (VOP) scheme was emphasised.

Participants were also updated on the overall status and roadmap of the VOP scheme, including:

• The implementation status based on the EPC monitoring exercise conducted in February 2026.
• The publication and go‑live planning for VOP Rulebook version 1.1.
• The ongoing public consultation on change requests for VOP Rulebook version 2.0.
• Updates relating to the EPC Directory Service (EDS), the API Reference Toolbox (ART) and the evolving statistics framework for VOP.

The meeting provided an opportunity for RVMs to share initial feedback and questions, exchange views on implementation and testing aspects, and highlight areas where further clarification or guidance would be beneficial. Upcoming meeting dates and next steps were also confirmed.

Download the full minutes of the RVM MSG kick‑off meeting.

Disclaimer: The minutes of the RVM MSG are protected by copyrights held by the European Payments Council AISBL (EPC). Any use, reproduction, distribution, translation, disclosure or modification, in their present format or any other format, is subject to prior written authorisation from the EPC. Any quotation made by a member or participant may not be used or reproduced without the prior consent of the individual concerned.