Brussels, 25/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has just adopted an action plan 2004-07 for fighting against fraudulent payments and strengthening consumer confidence in credit cards and bank transfers. This kind of fraud, is committed, for example, by stealing the identity of the credit card owner or false use of cards in cash dispensers and according to Commissioner Frits Bolkestein in a press release, "is exceeding one billion euros annually".
The plan is essentially based on meetings with experts and deepening studies to improve cooperation between public authorities and the private sector and between Member States. It plans to set up an experts' group to establish contact in Member States and sub-groups including consumers and wholesalers.
The Commission has announced a conference on fraudulent payments that will bring magistrates and the police together and training courses for specialists in this area within the police service. It also intends to launch a study on permanent methods for identifying cardholders.
As a parallel development, the Commission is expected to present a directive in 2005 on payments services. This directive should be based on the results of the consultation it launched at the end of 2003. The most controversial point involves liability of payment service providers in the event of litigation between businesses and their customers during a distance-made transaction.