GENERAL APPROACH ON PAYMENT ACCOUNTS DIRECTIVE.

• Position: Brief article

The EU Council agreed, on 20 December 2013, a general approach on the draft directive that aims to improve access to basic payment services throughout the EU. The draft directive stems from a proposal for a revised Payment Services Directive, published in July 2013. Guido Ravoet, chief executive of the European Banking Federation (EBF), welcomed the agreement: "The [Lithuanian] Presidency has proven that a realistic and proportionate approach can reflect the reality of retail...