Regulation

In the final part of this discussion of risks and opportunities in CEE, I was asked to give a view (see if you can spot me).   So here’s my brief summary: What are the risks for the next year or two? First, we are still in the middle of what I call the internet,…

At the Financial Services Club in Central & Eastern Europe (FSClub CEE) meeting, you may be wondering what John McFall doing there. The meeting was held at the British Embassy, our usual location for these meetings, and coincided with a tour of the region by some members of the Treasury Select Committee, who had spent…

Fascinating meetings with the Russian exchanges RTS and SPIMEX. After my reference to military intelligence yesterday, you may wonder whether SPIMEX is something to do with finding out who started the swine flu pandemic but no, it’s the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange. The two exchanges have very different start points and focal points, with…

A cheque processing conference sounds pretty dull these days, especially as cheques are on their way out across most economies. However, a cheque processing conference celebrating 350 years since the oldest surviving cheque was written? No, not that boring. In fact, as I’m a sucker for numbers and facts, the annual conference of the Cheque…

Just got an email from Charlie McCreey's office that announces the launch of SEPA Direct Debits (SDD), as covered here last Monday.  Here's the official line: "Cross-border direct debits and easier bank account switching now possible "From the beginning of November, EU consumers will start to have the possibility to make regular payments using the…

Just got an email from Charlie McCreey's office that announces the launch of SEPA Direct Debits (SDD), as covered here last Monday.  Here's the official line: "Cross-border direct debits and easier bank account switching now possible "From the beginning of November, EU consumers will start to have the possibility to make regular payments using the…

Eurofi had their annual conference in Gothenburg, Sweden last month. The meeting was themed: what priorities for the incoming EU authorities in the light of the financial crisis? and saw a number of common themes recur in discussions by key policymakers, officials and industry figures. The official report has just been released (download here), and…

So, finally, November 2nd and here we are. SEPA day! SEPA direct debits go live today and the PSD was transposed successfully across all of Europe to become law yesterday. Apart from a few countries who missed the deadline. Obviously, Sweden who have always said April because the chap who was meant to transpose it…

So, finally, November 2nd and here we are. SEPA day! SEPA direct debits go live today and the PSD was transposed successfully across all of Europe to become law yesterday. Apart from a few countries who missed the deadline. Obviously, Sweden who have always said April because the chap who was meant to transpose it…

So, finally, November 2nd and here we are. SEPA day! SEPA direct debits go live today and the PSD was transposed successfully across all of Europe to become law yesterday. Apart from a few countries who missed the deadline. Obviously, Sweden who have always said April because the chap who was meant to transpose it…