On Thursday 11 January, Stefan Berger MEP (EPP, German) put forward a draft report to the European Parliament on the European Commission’s legislative proposal to make euro notes and coins legal tender (see EUROPE 13211/12), a text that had accompanied a Commission proposal for a legal framework for a potential digital euro (see EUROPE 13211/11).
In his draft report on this first aspect, which aims to ensure the continued acceptance, availability and access to physical euro money, the rapporteur proposes a number of amendments to the Commission’s proposal.
In particular, the draft report proposes to delete, in recital 11, the description of the procedure by which the Commission would be delegated the power to introduce additional exceptions to the compulsory acceptance of cash payments at a later date.
Another of the rapporteur’s proposals is that unilateral practices, such as the non-acceptance of cash payments by public bodies, including public hospitals and museums, should be regarded as unilateral ex ante cash exclusions. These practices are not governed by the procedures for settling pecuniary obligations provided for under the national law of a Member State.
The rapporteur also proposes the addition of details concerning the common indicators to be adopted by the Commission and on the basis of which Member States will monitor access to cash payments.
In particular, the text proposes that these indicators be weighted according to national indicators linked to the demand for cash payments in the country.
Finally, the rapporteur calls for ATM or payment service providers intending to close a bank branch or ATM to carry out an impact assessment and ensure that sufficient and effective access to cash remains guaranteed. They should notify their findings to the national competent authority and, if the closure compromises sufficient access to the species, the provider should take steps to remedy the situation.
Link to the project: https://aeur.eu/f/aln (Émilie Vanderhulst)