Consequently, in March 2009 the European Commission and the ECB published a joint statement providing further clarification. In particular, it has been made clear that, for reasons of efficiency, a general per transaction multilateral interchange fee for national and SEPA direct debit transactions does not seem justified, nor would it be compatible with EU antitrust rules.
Another example of where self-regulation might not be the best solution is the question of the migration end-date. Although we have successfully started out on our journey to SEPA, we have not yet determined our date of arrival. The Eurosystem has emphasised that an ambitious and yet realistic end-date for migration to SCT and SDD is necessary.