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A comparative analysis of the US and EU retail banking markets - Wsbi

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It should be noted that two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest countries<br />

in terms <strong>of</strong> payment transactions i.e. France <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

United Kingdom (which respectively represent 21.2%<br />

<strong>and</strong> 21.5%, or toge<strong>the</strong>r nearly half <strong>of</strong> all <strong>EU</strong> cashless<br />

payment transactions) do not appear in ei<strong>the</strong>r category,<br />

because <strong>the</strong>y still boost a significant number <strong>of</strong><br />

cheques transactions, as well as credit or debit card<br />

transactions, <strong>and</strong> electronic credits or debits (each<br />

representing close to one third <strong>of</strong> each respective<br />

country’s total national payment transaction volume).<br />

It is clear that <strong>the</strong>re are ra<strong>the</strong>r different patterns <strong>of</strong><br />

payment instrument usage across <strong>the</strong> various <strong>EU</strong><br />

countries. These patterns are caused by a number <strong>of</strong><br />

reasons, including legislation, habits, history <strong>and</strong> culture.<br />

One may however query whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>and</strong> how <strong>the</strong>se<br />

patterns would evolve, if <strong>the</strong> principle <strong>of</strong> payments<br />

instruments (including cash) competing for customer<br />

acceptance on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> transparent pricing, <strong>and</strong><br />

in a context <strong>of</strong> similar rules <strong>and</strong> consequences, was<br />

generally accepted <strong>and</strong> implemented.<br />

6.3.2.3 Settlement <strong>of</strong> high value transactions<br />

in <strong>the</strong> European Union<br />

6.3.2.3.1 Real time gross settlement systems<br />

Currently in every Member State <strong>the</strong> National<br />

Central Bank owns <strong>and</strong> operates a real time gross<br />

settlement system which provides settlement finality<br />

to <strong>banking</strong> institutions supervised by that Central<br />

Bank. These independent systems are interlinked (for<br />

eurozone <strong>and</strong> non-eurozone countries as well) by<br />

<strong>the</strong> TARGET system, which allows <strong>the</strong> provision <strong>of</strong> –<br />

almost – real time settlement for participants operating<br />

within two national Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)<br />

systems. There are over 10,000 direct participants in <strong>the</strong><br />

initial 15 Member State RTGS systems. During 2004<br />

<strong>the</strong>se national RTGS systems toge<strong>the</strong>r processed<br />

over 69 million payment instructions (an increase <strong>of</strong><br />

3,9% over 2003) for a combined value <strong>of</strong> €444 trillion<br />

(an increase <strong>of</strong> 6,4% over 2003).<br />

Plans for migration in <strong>the</strong> last quarter <strong>of</strong> 2007 <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> first quarter <strong>of</strong> 2008 to a “Single Shared Platform”<br />

(also called TARGET2) have been published by <strong>the</strong><br />

Eurosystem. As stated by its name, TARGET2 would<br />

replace <strong>the</strong> current individual national systems, yet<br />

still allow a level <strong>of</strong> flexibility for how National<br />

Central Banks organise <strong>the</strong>ir relationship with banks<br />

under <strong>the</strong>ir jurisdiction (<strong>the</strong> details <strong>of</strong> that flexibility<br />

are currently being finalised).<br />

Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore <strong>the</strong> non-eurozone countries (Denmark,<br />

Sweden, <strong>the</strong> United Kingdom, as well as <strong>the</strong> 10 new<br />

Member States) each operate a real time gross<br />

settlement system to settle <strong>the</strong>ir own national<br />

currencies. Each new Member State is committed<br />

under <strong>the</strong> Adhesion Agreement to introduce <strong>the</strong><br />

euro <strong>and</strong> consequently <strong>the</strong> relevant national Central<br />

Banks will join <strong>the</strong> TARGET system (<strong>the</strong> first one to<br />

do so will be Slovenia on 1 January 2007).<br />

6.3.2.3.2 Net settlement systems<br />

In addition three countries (Finl<strong>and</strong>, France, <strong>and</strong> Spain)<br />

each operate a large value settlement system in euro<br />

for (in total over 680 direct <strong>and</strong> indirect) participants<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir respective national <strong>banking</strong> communities.<br />

These systems are ei<strong>the</strong>r strict net settlement systems<br />

(Spain), or combine features <strong>of</strong> multilateral netting<br />

<strong>and</strong> gross settlement (Finl<strong>and</strong>), or features <strong>of</strong><br />

bilateral netting <strong>and</strong> real time gross settlement<br />

(France). During 2004 <strong>the</strong>se three systems in total<br />

processed 8,63 million payment instructions (a<br />

decrease <strong>of</strong> 16% compared to 2003) for a (stable)<br />

combined value <strong>of</strong> €18,2 trillion.<br />

On a non-national basis <strong>the</strong> <strong>EU</strong>RO1 system <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Euro Banking Association (EBA) provides settlement<br />

in euro on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> a “single obligation” contract to<br />

over 70 direct participants. In 2004 <strong>EU</strong>RO1 processed<br />

over 44 million payment instructions for a combined<br />

value <strong>of</strong> €44 trillion.<br />

6.3.2.4 Clearing <strong>of</strong> <strong>retail</strong> <strong>and</strong> commercial<br />

transactions in <strong>the</strong> European Union<br />

Across <strong>the</strong> 15 initial Member States <strong>the</strong>re are some<br />

18 <strong>retail</strong> <strong>and</strong> commercial payment clearing systems,<br />

owned <strong>and</strong> operated ei<strong>the</strong>r by <strong>banking</strong> communities,<br />

or by a National Central Bank, or jointly. In addition<br />

<strong>the</strong> EBA operates a <strong>retail</strong> clearing capability (STEP2)<br />

which currently h<strong>and</strong>les cross-border payment<br />

instructions within <strong>the</strong> <strong>EU</strong> yet is expected to process in<br />

<strong>the</strong> near future some “national” transactions as well,<br />

when smaller national clearing houses cease operation<br />

as <strong>the</strong> Singel Euro Payments Area is being established.<br />

136

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