Strasbourg, 15/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - By 421 to 14 with 35 abstentions, the European Parliament adopted the regulation making financial institutions levy the same charges on national and crossborder payments. Based on Karla Peijs' report (EPP, NL), MEPs introduced three changes to the Commission's proposal (published in July 2001) - cheques have been excluded, the date the regulation will come into force has been postponed from 1 January 2002 to 1 March 2002 and financial establishments will only have to inform customers of their IBAN (International Bank Account Number) and Bank Identification Code (BIC) "if required", justifying the latter amendment on the grounds that some payments systems (like transferring money and payments via the internet) are not bank systems and do not have an IBAN or a BIC. The President of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine, welcomed the adoption of the regulation, saying it reflects what citizens greatly expect since once they all have the same currency, they will not longer put up with paying above the odds for payments in the domestic market. She called on the Council to adopt the Parliament's text without amending it so that the decision-making process for the dossier can be closed by the end of the year. The President of the EP's Economic and Monetary Committee, Christa Randzio-Plath (SPD) also welcomed the EP's vote, stressing that it meets the demand from citizens to set up a "single payment zone in the EU". Speaking on behalf of the Socialists, Pervenche Berès (France) called on public authorities to be highly vigilant and for financial establishments to engage in greater co-operation when applying the new rules. She stressed that it was essential in France, for example, that the free cheque payment system was not compromised. Commissioner Frits Bolkestein supported the EP's amendments and hoped that the Internal Market Council would be able to formally adopt the text at its meeting on 26 November.