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You are here: Home -> News -> EC Issues Green Paper on the Integration of Card, Internet and Mobile Payments  A A 

With a view to improving European integration in the card, internet and mobile payment markets the European Commission has issued a green paper. The main issues identified in the paper and on which the Commission is seeking views are:

• Market access for service providers
• Payment security and data protection
• Transparent and efficient pricing of payment services
• Technical standardisation
• Inter-operability between service providers

Key facts and figures from the green paper:

• “Around 726 million payment (credit and debit) cards were used in the EU in 2009. This represents an average of almost 1.5 cards per citizen. The average spending per card amounted to more than €2,000 p.a.
• According to studies, the number of online shoppers in Europe is forecast to increase from 141 to 190 million between 2009 and 2014 with the average spent by each buyer increasing from €500 to €600 p.a.
• One in three European citizens used online banking in 2009. Studies indicate that by 2020, two out of three EU citizens may use online banking
• Almost one in three EU citizens currently owns a smart phone. This is expected to increase in the future, which will also drive emerging m-payment solutions. Studies indicate that the value of m-payments in Europe could be as high as €250 billion per year by 2014
• Individual mobile payment solutions already cover a wide range of purchasing situations today, for example when paying for car parking or public transport tickets, paying for groceries and in restaurants, buying digital goods or making direct peer-to-peer payments.”

Interested parties may submit contributions until the consultation process ends on April 11th, 2012. IPSO will be providing a response to the green paper on behalf of its members.

The green paper may be downloaded here.