PayBelgium hosts Autumn Academy 2025: Payments Legal Outlook 2026
PayBelgium, in collaboration with DLA Piper, was pleased to welcome policymakers, legal experts, and industry stakeholders to the Autumn Academy 2025: Payments Legal Outlook 2026, held today in Brussels. The event offered an in-depth exchange on the regulatory and policy priorities shaping the future of payments in Belgium and across Europe.
A key highlight of the programme was the contribution of Sahin Yazici (Cabinet of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy David Clarinval), who presented the Minister of Economy’s priorities for the 2025–2029 legislative period. His intervention provided clarity on the government’s main files impacting the Belgian payments landscape, including:
Access to cash: maintaining broad access to cash withdrawal and deposit points and preparing an updated national action plan.
Access to (basic) banking services: tackling de-risking practices, strengthening the Basic Banking Services framework, and supporting consumers who are less digitally active.
Costs of electronic payments: enhancing cost transparency for retailers, supported by ongoing studies and future digital comparison instruments.
Payment fraud: improving consumer protection through reinforced liability checks and the deployment of new tools such as IBAN–name checks and the upgraded “Card Stop” mechanism.
Consumer mobility: fostering competition and examining options such as IBAN portability, alongside strengthened financial education tools.
PayBelgium also extends its appreciation to Delphine Goens and Joris Latui of DLA Piper for their comprehensive overview of the evolving anti-money laundering (AML) framework, as well as the regulatory landscape for stablecoins and crypto-assets. Their insights helped participants navigate emerging legal considerations and upcoming compliance obligations.
We further express our gratitude to DLA Piper for generously hosting this year’s edition and to all participants for their active engagement throughout the discussions. The exchanges were particularly timely in light of the political conclusion of the PSR/PSD3 trilogues on the same day, an important milestone for the sector.
PayBelgium looks forward to continuing its work with members and stakeholders as the regulatory environment evolves, and to supporting the development of a competitive, innovative, and secure payments ecosystem in Belgium.