Brussels, 24/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - Banks say that the new EU rules on basic bank accounts may negatively impact on the provision of normal bank accounts.
The European Banking Federation (EBF) comments on the informal agreement struck between the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament to make it easier for people to open basic bank accounts: “The EBF has consistently highlighted the risks of rushing to a conclusion. As a result, some important aspects of the compromise do not fully reflect the way customers undertake their day-to-day banking. The extent and scope of the provisions on access to basic bank accounts still need to be further analysed as they could inappropriately affect the offer of regular bank accounts” (see EUROPE 11043).
The European Consumers' Bureau (BEUC) welcomes the agreement on the draft directive in question: “This will go a long way towards correcting the unjustifiable situation of the million Europeans who do not even have a basic bank account”.
Member states' representatives to the EU on the Coreper committee may endorse the deal on 2 April. Some delegations, like the United Kingdom, are reported to still have problems with a number of measures and technical inter-institutional talks may continue in the meantime. (MD)