EPC launches public consultation on the evolution of the SEPA Credit Transfer and SEPA Direct Debit Schemes

European Payments Council (EPC) launched a three-month public consultation on possible modifications to the SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) and SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) Rulebooks. The EPC encourages all Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) stakeholders to provide feedback by 15 August 2014.

The next generation rulebooks, (SCT Rulebook version 8.0, SDD Core Rulebook version 8.0 and SDD Business to Business (B2B) Rulebook version 6.0), and associated implementation guidelines will be published in November 2014 to take effect in November 2015. In accordance with industry best practice, payment service providers (PSPs) and their suppliers have a one-year lead time to address rulebook updates prior to such updates taking effect.

The SCT and SDD Schemes as defined in the SCT and SDD Rulebooks evolve based on a transparent change management process adhered to by the EPC. This evolution reflects changes in market needs and updates of technical standards developed by international standards bodies, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The scheme change management process provides all stakeholders with the opportunity to participate from an early stage; i.e. to introduce suggestions for changes to the schemes.

All interested parties had been invited to submit suggestions for changes proposed to be incorporated into the next version of the SCT and SDD Rulebooks by 28 February 2014. All suggestions for changes to the rulebooks that were received by that date have been consolidated into a single change request document per rulebook (the SCT Rulebook, the SDD Core Rulebook and the SDD B2B Rulebook). As with previous scheme change cycles, all proposed changes to the schemes are released with the change request documents for a three-month public consultation.

The 2014 public consultation on possible modifications to the SCT and SDD Rulebooks takes place between 19 May and 15 August 2014. All interested parties are invited to complete the response template provided with each change request document. The completed response template per change request document should be sent by email to change-request.EPC-scheme@epc-cep.eu by 15 August 2014.

Proposed changes to the schemes that find broad acceptance in the entire stakeholder community and are technically and legally feasible are taken forward. Proposed changes that lack such broad support are not – regardless of whether such a change is proposed by a PSP or by a user representative. This ensures that the SCT and SDD Schemes evolve in line with the requirements of the majority of all market participants.