12. ReassuresthecitizensofCyprusthattheEuropeanParliament,theCouncilandtheCommissionare
willingtoprovidefinancialsupportfortheimplementationofthesettlementandthe‘acquiscommunaut-aire’;welcomesthepositiveresultofthehigh-levelpre-donors’conferenceon15April2004asanimport-antsignalofthesolidarityoftheEuropeanandinternationalcommunity;
13. AssuresbothsidesthattheEUinstitutionswillrigorouslyguaranteewithotherinternationalinsti-
tutionstheimplementationofthesettlementasthisisaquestiontouchingupontheirowncredibility;
14. ConfirmsitsintentionactivelytomonitortheimplementationoftheAnnanPlan,throughitscom-
petentcommittee,andtomakeitscontributiontotheguaranteeingoftheplan;
15. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontoallpartiestothenegotiationprocess,theCouncil
andCommission,thegovernmentsandparliamentsoftheRepublicofCyprus,GreeceandTurkey,andtheUNSecretary-General.
P5_TA(2004)0348
Singlepaymentarea
EuropeanParliamentresolutiononalegalframeworkforasinglepaymentarea(2003/2101(INI))
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtotheCommissioncommunicationtotheEuropeanParliamentandtheCouncilcon-
cerninga‘NewLegalFrameworkforPaymentsintheInternalMarket’(COM(2003)718),
/dash havingregardtotheEuropeanCentralBank’sprogressreportof26June2003entitled‘Towardsa
SingleEuroPaymentsArea’,
/dash havingregardtotheEuropeanPaymentsCouncil’sWhitePaperentitled‘Euroland:OurSinglePayment
Area’ofMay2002(1),
/dash havingregardtothehearingofexpertsorganisedon20January2004bytheCommitteeonEcon-
omicandMonetaryAffairs,
/dash havingregardtoRule163ofitsRulesofProcedure,
/dash havingregardtothereportoftheCommitteeonEconomicandMonetaryAffairsandtheopinionof
theCommitteeonLegalAffairsandtheInternalMarket(A5-0192/2004),
A. whereasthereliableandefficientprocessingofallcross-borderpaymenttransactionsintheEuropean
Unionisessentialforcompletionoftheinternalmarketand,therefore,asingleeuropaymentsareashould,asfaraspossible,beachievedbeforethebankingindustry’s2010targetdate,
B. whereas,especiallysincetheEuropeanPaymentsCouncilwassetupin2002,theEuropeanbanking
industryhasmadesignificanteffortstopressaheadwiththenotionofasinglepaymentarea;whereas,however,puttingplansintopractice,suchas,forinstance,theimplementationofagreedstandards,isstillcausingdifficulties,
C. whereasthesituationasregardscross-borderretailpaymentsintheEuropeanUnioncontinuestobe
unsatisfactoryandcitizensmakingcross-borderpaymentscontinuetoencounterdifficultieswhichtheydonotfacewithpurelynationaltransactions,
(1) http://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.org/C104E/722 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Wednesday21April2004
D. whereasacoherentlegalframeworkforretailpaymentsisneededatEuropeanlevelwhichincorpor-
atesandconsolidatesthehostofexistingrules,eliminateslegaluncertaintyandinconsistenciesandclosesregulatorygaps,
E. whereas,followingtheenlargementoftheEuropeanUnion,thelegalframeworkwillhavetoencom-
passmorenationalsystemsandproceduresandwhereastheaccessioncountrieswillnotintroducethe
eurountilanumberofyearshaveelapsed,attheearliest,
1. WelcomestheCommission’sinitiativetoestablishthelegalprerequisitesforthecreationofasingle
retailpaymentsareaintheEuropeanUnion;pointsout,however,thatCommunityrulesshouldbeformu-latedinsuchawaythattheefficiencyofnationalsystemsandproceduresisnotimpaired;
2. Considersthatcustomersmustbeprovidedwithasetofconvenient,cheap,reliableandpredictable
instrumentsofpayment;
3. CallsontheCommissiontoproduceeconomicstudiesatanearlydatewithaviewtoclarifyingwhat
isatstakeandwhatoptionsmightbepursuedasregards,amongotherthings,infrastructure,interoper-abilityandinterbanking;
4. Considersthat,giventheunsatisfactorycurrentsituationintheEuropeanpaymentarea,atthetech-
nicallevelthenecessarylegalmeasuresmustbetakeninordertoestablishanefficient,effectiveEuropeanpaymentsystem;
5. CallsontheCommission,whenimplementingtheindividualcomponentsofthelegalframework,to
chooseineachcasethelegalinstrumentwhichinvolvestheleastregulatoryinterventioninordertorealisetheobjective;takestheviewthat,whereveritappearspracticalandfeasible,thereshouldbeself-regulationbymarketparticipants;
6. Considersthat, in accordance with the principle ofsubsidiarity, if self-regulation fails or proves
inefficient,priorityfortheregulationoftheoperationoftheEuropeanpaymentareamustbegiventodirectivesandthentoregulations,toensurethatlegalmeasureswilltakeeffectatthesametimeandinthesamewaythroughouttheEuropeanUnion;
7. Considersthatregulationofcross-bordereuropaymentsmustconformtotheprinciplesthatcon-
sumersmustinvariablyincurthesamecostsasatnationallevelandthatthepropernationalauthorities
mustbethefirsttobecalledupontoascertainthatthemeasureslaiddownarebeingeffectivelyimple-mentedineachcountry;
8. MaintainsthatthisimpliesacleardefinitionbytheinstitutionsoftheEuropeanUnionoftheobjec-
tivesandtheimplementationscheduleandmonitoringofimplementationbytheeconomicstakeholders;
9. Takestheviewthatprudentialrulestowhichpaymentserviceprovidersaresubjectshouldbemade
moreuniformthroughoutEuropeinordertoensurealevelplayingfield;considersthatfurtherfragment-ingofprudentialsupervisionprovisionsoraloweringofprudentialsupervisionstandardsmustbepre-vented;takestheviewthat,intheinterestsofallpartiesconcerned(consumers,tradersandbanks),thecreationofanewrole,thatofpaymentserviceprovider,mustnotleadtoanydiminution,inphysical,prudential,financialandeconomicterms,ofthesecurityofthemeansofpaymentissuedinthemarket;
10. CallsontheCommissiontomonitorwiththeutmostvigilancetrendsinrespectofmergersbetween
paymentserviceproviders;notesthatinsomeareas,e.g.creditcards,themarketisdominatedbyasmall
numberoffirmsoperatingfromadominantposition;
11. WelcomestheCommission’sintentiontoincludebothcross-borderandpurelydomesticpayments
inthelegalframework;callsforthescopeofthelegalframeworktobeextendedfrom2006toallintra-EUeuropaymentsofuptoEUR50000;callsforuniformrulesgoverningtransactionsinotherEUcurrencies;30.4.2004EN C104E/723 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Wednesday21April2004
12. Believesthatthelegalrulesgoverningmoneytransfersintheeurozoneneedtobeamendedand
strengthened,especiallyasregardstheamountstransferred,whichmustbecreditedinfulltothepayee’saccount,andthatthetimetakentoexecutesuchtransfersshouldnotexceedsixworkingdays,tobereducedtothreeworkingdaysasfrom2008;
13. Considersitnecessarytoimprovethelegalcertaintyandtechnicalsecurityofpaymentsintheeuro
zone,giventhatconsumersareentitledtoexpectthat,withintheinternalmarket,theywillbeprotectedtothesamedegreeastheyareintheircountryoforigin;
14. WelcomestheintentionoftheEuropeanbankingindustryandoftheCommissiontoestablisha
pan-Europeandirect-debitscheme;
15. Maintainsthat,inthebankcardsector,wherecross-borderoperationsarefarmoresatisfactory,one
prioritymustbetointroducesecond-generationsmartcardsacrosstheboard,withoutfallingbehindtheschedulelaiddown,inordertomakesuchcardssafertousethroughouttheEuropeanUnion;
16. Regardsitasessentialthatbankcustomersbegiventhemostimportantinformationinasuccinct,
comprehensibleform;
17. Regardsthepromotionofcustomermobilityasessentialintheinterestsofpropercompetition;
calls on the banking industry to submit proposals for a standardised data communication procedure(standingorders,directdebits)inordertomakeiteasierforcustomerstomoveaccounts;callsforchargesforclosingaccountstobemadetransparentveryrapidly;
18. Advocates,intheinterestsoflegalcertaintyandthecost-efficientprocessingofpaymentorders,
earlyirrevocability(thatis,beforethetransferisinitiated)ofpaymentinstructionsgivendirectlytoapaymentserviceprovider(transfers);inthecaseofdirect-debitpayments,however,callsforprovisionsmakingitpossibletorevokethemoveralongerperiod,inparticularwheretheamounttobepaidcannotbespecifiedbythecustomerwhengivingthepaymentinstruction;
19. WelcomestheobjectiveofpromotingdistancesellingandInternetsellingthroughouttheEuropean
Union; rejects the notion of making payment service providers accountable in the event of disputesbetweentradersandcustomers,whetherbymeansofrulesonliabilityorextendedcancellationrightsforcustomers;insists,rather,oncleardemarcationbetweenthebasictransactionandthepayment;takestheview that the developmentof(optional)safeguard systems(forexample, the use ofescrow accounts)shouldbelefttothemarket;
20. Takestheviewthatpaymentserviceprovidersshouldberesponsiblefortheaccurateexecutionof
instructionsfromcustomers,inaccordancewiththenationallawsoftheMemberStates,andshouldbeartheburdenofproofoncetheinstructionenterstheirdomain;rejectsanyextensionofstrictliability;isof
theopinion,however,thatwithinthelegalrelationshipwithcustomersasregardserrorsofselection,the
liabilityofserviceprovidersshouldalsoextendtotheselectionofotherintermediaryfirmsandtechnicalfacilitiesused;suggeststhat,bywayofself-regulation,bankingassociations,paymentnetworkoperatorsandtradersshouldadoptaprocedureforsettlingquestionsofinternalliabilitypromptly;takestheviewthattheappraisalofliability,whereaquestionofconsequentialdamageorforcemajeurearises,shouldbelefttonationalcourts;
21. Suggeststhatwhenapaymentcardhasbeenfraudulentlyusedbyathirdparty,theliabilityofthe
cardholder/dashlimitedtoagivenamount/dashshouldapply,dependingontheseriousnessofthecaseandthedegreetowhichthecardholderisatfault,onlyifspecificallydefinedobligationshavebeeninfringed;considersthatacardholdershouldonnoaccountbeheldliableoncehehasinformedthepaymentservicecompanythathiscardhasbeenwrongfullyused,andthatthepaymentserviceprovidermustfurnishevidenceofsuchnotifications,especiallythosemadebytelephone;C104E/724 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Wednesday21April2004
22. Callsforthelegalframeworktoenshrinetheprinciplethat,whatevermeansofpaymentisused,the
fullamountspecifiedinthepaymentordermustbecreditedtotherecipient’saccountwithoutdeductionunlesstherecipienthasexpresslyenteredintoadifferentarrangementwithhisbank,inwhichcasetheamountandtypeofdeductionmustbedisclosedtotherecipient;
23. Welcomes the Commission proposal, regarding Special Recommendation VII of the Financial
ActionTaskForceonMoneyLaundering,todefinetheEuropeanUnionasanintegratedlegalframework;takestheview,however,thatthresholdvaluesshouldbeintroducedforcashtransfers;notesthat‘effectiverisk-basedprocedures…toidentifyanytransfers…whichlacktherequiredoriginatorinformation’aretechnicallyimpossibletoachieve;
24. Urgesthebankingindustrytoenhanceon-linebankingsecuritycontinually,incollaborationwith
theITindustryandsupervisoryauthorities,andtogivecustomerscomprehensibleinformationaboutrisks
andtheprecautionstobetaken;
25. Recognisesthebenefitthatareductioninthemaximumexecutiontimeforcredittransfersfromsix
workingdaystothreeworkingdayswouldbringtoconsumers;agreeswiththeCommission,however,thatnon-eurocross-bordercredittransfersarenottechnicallyreadytobeputonthesamelevelascredittransfersexecutedineuros,althoughnon-eurocross-bordertransfersshouldaimtoreachthesamelevelassoonaspossible;
26. Welcomesanyalternativedisputeresolutionarrangementsthatmighthelptoavertprotractedliti-
gation;considersthatifvoluntarydisputeresolutionfailstosettledisputesquicklyandcannotsecureeffective complaint and redress procedures for consumers, dispute resolution arrangements should bemadecompulsoryintheMemberStatesandatEuropeanlevel;
27. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontotheCouncilandCommission.
P5_TA(2004)0349
Integratedproductpolicy
EuropeanParliamentresolutiononthecommunicationfromtheCommissiontotheCounciland
theEuropeanParliamentonIntegratedProductPolicy/dashBuildingonEnvironmentalLife-Cycle
Thinking(COM(2003)302/dashC5-0550/2003/dash2003/2221(INI))
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtothecommunicationfromtheCommissiontotheCouncilandtheEuropeanParlia-
ment(COM(2003)302/dashC5-0550/2003),
/dash havingregardtotheSixthCommunityEnvironmentalActionProgramme(1),
/dash havingregardtotheFifthandSixthFrameworkProgrammesforCommunityResearch,Technological
DevelopmentandDemonstrationActivities,
/dash having regard tothe Lisbon Processlaunched by the Göteborg European Councilon15/16June
2001,
/dash havingregardtoDirective98/4/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilof16February
1998amendingDirective93/38/EECcoordinatingtheprocurementproceduresofentitiesoparatinginthewater,energy,transportandtelecommunicationssectors(
2),
/dash havingregardtotheproposalforaDirectiveoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilestablish-
ingaframeworkforthesettingofEco-designrequirementsforEnergy-UsingProductsandamendingCouncilDirective92/42/EEC(COM(2003)453),
(1) OJL242,10.9.2002,p.1.
(2) OJL101,1.4.1998,p.1.30.4.2004EN C104E/725 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Wednesday21April2004