The role that payments play within the general framework of financial services in the EC is indispensable for the realization of a true single European market including, inter alia, the conditions of cross-border purchasing, the legal framework of consumer protection, and the technical standards against fraud in payment systems. The Commission’s New Legal Framework for payment services in the internal market – as evidenced by the EC Payment Services Directive (PSD) – represents an important step towards the completion of an initiative for a Single Euro Payments Area and, more broadly, EU-wide financial services integration. Yet, while wholesale financial services and, in particular, wholesale payment services have been extensively regulated, much work remains to be done in the sector of retail financial services, an area directly affecting consumers and small enterprises. Using a dual focus on the historical development of EC financial services law and current trends in this highly evolving sector, this important book masterfully reveals and delimits the legal aspects of payments within the European Union and analyses the different legislative approaches to harmonization in financial services. The author shows that, despite the inherent sensitivity of the financial services sector and the rapid technological developments, a centralized EC initiative for payment services has the potential to bring about tangible results in terms of consumer protection and further EC integration.
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