The Central Bank of Montenegro organised a workshop on the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) adherence and application process for representatives of the Montenegrin banking sector, aimed at preparing banks for accession to SEPA payment schemes. The bank expects Montenegrin credit institutions to begin submitting applications to the European Payments Council (EPC) from April, with SEPA transactions planned to start from 6 October 2025. The session covered regulatory and legal aspects of accession, including the documentation credit institutions must submit to the EPC, as well as operational changes from new versions of the SEPA payment schemes. It also addressed the testing procedure, an exceptional group of “R payment messages”, and other technical topics, using practical examples to illustrate implementation challenges and potential responses. More than 50 bank representatives attended a presentation by Kjeld Herreman of Paylume. According to the EPC calendar cited by the central bank, reception of applications from Montenegrin banks starts on 11 April, while the first transactions via SEPA payment schemes will be possible from 6 October 2025. The Central Bank of Montenegro said it will continue providing regulatory and technical support to banks to complete application and onboarding within the planned period.
Central Bank of Montenegro 2025-03-27
Central Bank of Montenegro holds SEPA adherence workshop as banks prepare to apply to the European Payments Council in April
The Central Bank of Montenegro held a workshop to prepare Montenegrin banks for accession to the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) payment schemes, with applications to the European Payments Council starting 11 April and transactions commencing 6 October 2025. The session covered regulatory, legal, and operational aspects, including documentation requirements and testing procedures. The bank will continue offering support to ensure timely application and onboarding.