13/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission welcomed, on Thursday, the adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the regulation stipulating that the bank charges on cross-border payments in euros should be equal to those invoiced for similar transactions within one and the same Member State. The regulation, which provides for a certain number of obligations fixed in a timetable covering the period July 2002-January 2006, will also cover payments in currencies other than euros if the Member States where these other currencies circulate notify the Commission that they hope such rules will apply. This adoption follows the vote in Parliament which approved the Council's common position on Wednesday (see EUROPE of 16 November, p.13, on the subject of the debate during the second reading).