5th of October, 2010 – Brussels: EAPS, the alliance of European debit card schemes which facilitates pan-European ATM and point-of-sale (POS) transactions, has announced the election of Mr Peter Blasche as Chairman of the EAPS Board of Directors.

Mr Blasche, Head of Payments and Card Schemes at the Association of the German Public Sector Banks (VÖB), will oversee the work of the alliance and its activity to connect debit card schemes across Europe efficiently and cost-effectively.

Mr Blasche succeeds Ugo Bechis, who led EAPS from the beginning of 2008 until summer 2010. Mr Bechis has resigned from his position as Chairman of EAPS following his election as Chairman of the Cards Working Group at the European Payments Council.

Mr Blasche comments: “I am delighted to be appointed as Chairman of the EAPS Board. As the scheme is driven and governed entirely by its EU members, it has European issues such as SEPA compliance at its core. Card schemes, banks and payment institutions compliant with European requirements and the SEPA Cards Framework of the European Payments Council, are all encouraged to join and take advantage of the benefits of participating in EAPS, such as increasing profits from existing networks and enhancing their relevance across European boundaries.”

Mr Blasche adds: “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ugo Bechis for his valuable contribution over the last two years. His work played a key role in ensuring EAPS offers a real regional alternative to the international payment schemes according to its mission to become a leading European payment card scheme.”

Approximately one million transactions took place under the EAPS framework in 2009. For further information on the scheme and how to join, visit www.card-alliance.eu.