meta_id 3026389

On April 1, 2026, the European Payments Council (EPC) launched a public consultation on proposed change requests for version 2.0 of the Verification of Payee (VOP) scheme rulebook. The VOP scheme rulebook was developed to support payment service providers (PSPs) in meeting new obligations under the EU Instant Payments Regulation (IPR), which amended the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Regulation and became effective on October 9, 2025, for euro area EU Member State PSPs. Following a call for change requests from December 18, 2025, to February 15, 2026, the EPC has identified modifications for potential inclusion in version 2.0 of the rulebook. These proposed changes are detailed in the public consultation document (EPC084-26). The consultation invites feedback from all stakeholders, including PSPs, financial institutions, and other interested parties, on the proposed modifications to the VOP scheme rulebook and related documents. Stakeholders are encouraged to participate to ensure the rulebook continues to effectively support compliance with the Instant Payments Regulation requirements. Responses must be submitted using the provided response template (EPC085-26) by email to [email protected] by June 30, 2026, at 18:00 CEST. Feedback received after this deadline will not be considered. The consultation documents are available for download on the EPC website. REFERENCES: European Payments Council. Public consultation: Change requests for version 2.0 of Verification Of Payee (VOP) Rulebook. Available at: https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/