Governance

Bodies of the association

The governance of the Payments Association consists of various governing bodies, each with a clear role. The most important bodies are the General Members’ Meeting, the Board, the Management, the Secretariat, the Advisory Councils, the Working Groups and the Appeals Board.

General Members’ Meeting

Payment service providers operating in the Dutch market can become members of the Payments Association. Members jointly finance the association and participate in the General Members’ Meeting (ALV). The ALV determines the strategy, approves the annual accounts and usually meets twice a year.

Board

The Board decides on important issues, establishes policy frameworks and advises the Management. Important tasks include:

• appointing and dismissing the management
• approving the annual plan and budget
• monitoring the quality of the association’s performance

Management

The management is responsible for the operational organisation of the association. The management:

• manages the office
• formulates policy proposals
• decides on the admission of new members
• implements the certification policy
• supervises the enforcement of rules

The management is appointed by the board.

Advisory councils

The Payments Association has advisory councils and working groups in which policy preparation takes place. The advisory councils advise the management and consist of representatives of members.

There are two advisory boards:

• an advisory board for members with a banking licence
• an advisory board for members who operate as payment institutions or electronic money institutions

Stakeholders

The Payments Association consults with representatives of end users and other stakeholders on behalf of its members. A stakeholder forum has been set up for this purpose.
In addition, the association works closely with organisations that play a role in Dutch payment transactions, including:

• the Social Consultation on Payments (chaired by De Nederlandsche Bank)
• the Dutch Banking Association
• the United Payment Institutions in the Netherlands

Stakeholders are actively involved in important changes to Dutch payment transactions.

Appeals Board

The Appeals Board is an independent body that offers parties the opportunity to appeal against decisions on accession or certification. The board can be approached if the management, the board and subsequently the appeals committee have not reached a solution.

Working groups

Working groups prepare policy at the tactical and operational levels. The working groups consist of specialists delegated by the members. They advise the management, both on request and on their own initiative.

Important working groups are:

• Cards
• Charter
• Giro
• Open Banking
• Standardisation

In addition, there are working groups in the legal field and for communication and information. Task forces are set up where necessary for topics of a temporary nature.