Regulation (EU) No 260/2012 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 16 Transitional provisions

1. By way of derogation from Article 6(1) and (2), Member States may allow PSPs to provide PSUs, until 1 February 2016, with conversion services for national payment transactions enabling PSUs that are consumers to continue using BBAN instead of the payment account identifier specified in point (1)(a) of the Annex on condition that interoperability is ensured by converting the payer’s and the payee’s BBAN technically and securely into the respective payment account identifier specified in point (1)(a) of the Annex. That payment account identifier shall be delivered to the initiating PSU, where appropriate before the payment is executed. In such a case PSPs shall not levy any charges or other fees on the PSU directly or indirectly linked to those conversion services.

2. PSPs that offer payment services denominated in euro and that are located in a Member State which does not have the euro as its currency shall comply with Article 3 when offering payment services denominated in euro by 31 October 2016. If, however, the euro is introduced as the currency of any such Member State before 31 October 2015, the PSP located in that Member State shall comply with Article 3 within 1 year of the date on which the Member State concerned joined the euro area.

3. Member States may allow their competent authorities to waive all or some of the requirements referred to in Article 6(1) and (2) for those credit transfer or direct debit transactions with a cumulative market share, based on the official payment statistics published annually by the ECB, of less than 10 % of the total number of credit transfers or direct debit transactions respectively, in that Member State until 1 February 2016.

4. Member States may allow their competent authorities to waive all or some of the requirements referred to in Article 6(1) and (2) for those payment transactions generated using a payment card at the point of sale which result in direct debit to and from a payment account identified by BBAN or IBAN until 1 February 2016.

5. By way of derogation from Article 6(1) and (2), Member States may allow their competent authorities, until 1 February 2016, to waive the specific requirement to use the message formats specified in point (1)(b) of the Annex set out in Article 5(1)(d) for PSUs which initiate or receive individual credit transfers or direct debits that are bundled together for transmission. Notwithstanding a possible waiver, PSPs shall fulfil the requirements set out in Article 5(1)(d) where a PSU requests such a service.

6. By way of derogation from Article 6(1) and (2), Member States may defer the requirements relating to provision of BIC for national payment transactions in Article 5(4), (5) and (7) until 1 February 2016.

7. Where a Member State intends to make use of a derogation as provided for in paragraph 1, 3, 4, 5 or 6, that Member State shall notify the Commission accordingly by 1 February 2013, and shall subsequently allow its competent authority to waive, as relevant, some or all of the requirements set out in Article 5, Article 6(1) or (2) and the Annex, for the relevant payment transactions as referred to in the respective paragraphs or subparagraphs and for a period not exceeding that of the derogation. Member States shall notify the Commission of the payment transactions subject to the derogation and of any subsequent change.

8. PSPs located in, and PSUs making use of a payment service in a Member State which does not have the euro as its currency shall comply with the requirements of Articles 4 and 5 by 31 October 2016. Operators of retail payment systems for a Member State which does not have the euro as its currency shall comply with the requirements of Article 4(2) by 31 October 2016.

If, however, the euro is introduced as the currency of any such Member State before 31 October 2015, the PSPs or where relevant operators of retail payment systems located and PSUs making use of a payment service, in that Member State shall comply with the respective provisions within 1 year of the date on which the Member State concerned joined the euro area, but not earlier than the respective dates specified for the Member States having the euro as their own currency on 31 March 2012.