In all of this - in our pursuit of both macroeconomic stability on the one hand and structural reform on the other - we share much the same basic philosophy as our partners in the European Union, though it may be true to say that, at least as a matter of degree, while we were later than some of them in coming to macroeconomic stability, we may have gone further in the direction of improving the supply-side flexibility of our economy through structural reform. The best thing that we can do for the time being - on both sides - is to pursue this common approach in parallel. That should help to bring about greater convergence between us, to reduce the risks of UK membership of the euro and to help meet the Government’s five economic tests for joining. In the meantime, ahead of any decision, it seems sensible to prepare in order to keep open the option to join. BIS Review 33/20009  6
This action plan would require the support of all the stakeholders in the payments market, as well as interventions in many aspects, such as: 1. improvement of the applicable legal and regulatory framework; 2. development and improvement of financial services infrastructures; 3. expansion of the number and use of accounts and payment services; 4. expansion of access points for these services; 5. increase of education, awareness and financial inclusion; 6. increase of the volumes of transactions processed by payment systems. While the strategy was only recently approved, in June, concrete steps have been taken in this 1/3  BIS central bankers' speeches  regard, for example, the drafting of the bill “On Payment Services in the Republic of Albania", which transposes the revised directive of the European Union “On payment services” (PSD2). The adoption and implementation of this bill is considered to have a direct impact for fostering competition and innovation in the field of retail payments, thus promoting efficiency and reduction of the costs for using them. Moreover, the bill is expected to enhance transparency in the services provided by the market and to create a consolidated framework on consumer protection, a very important component for our market. Last but not least, the bill also aims to expand the presence of bank services across the territory of the country (including rural areas). Beyond legal improvements, important steps have been noted in the framework of financial education.