A key measure is the "MERFA" (“Mécanisme Régulateur de la Fonction Acquéreur”), a formula that determines whether a fee of up to €11 on each card issued should be paid by member banks that are not "sufficiently" active in terms of acquisition of merchants or installation of automated teller machines (ATMs).

To foster the deployment of NGA and to encourage market investment in open and competitive networks the Commission will adopt a NGA Recommendation based on the principles that (i) investment risk should be duly taken into account when establishing cost-oriented access prices, (ii) National Regulatory Authorities should be able to impose the most appropriate access remedies in each case, allowing a reasonable investment pace for alternative operators while taking into account the level of competition in any given area and (iii) co-investments and risk-sharing mechanisms should be promoted.

A key measure is the so-called ‘MERFA’ (“Mécanisme Régulateur de la Fonction Acquéreur”), a formula that determines whether a fee of up to €11 on each card issued should be paid by member banks that would not be sufficiently active in concluding contracts with merchants (“acquiring merchants”) or installing automated teller machines (ATMs).

8. Recalls that the independence of the functioning of regulatory agencies must be based on the following conditions: the suitability and the competence of its members, the objectivity and impartiality of their performance, the prohibition of any external instruction or recommendation, the existence of strict rules to avoid bias and conflicts of interest, the need for a very high level of loyalty and transparency, the periodical rotation of, and the possibility to remove, its members, the establishment of rules and codes together with the stakeholders, the prosecution of illegal behaviour or any other interferences, and the establishment of other ap ...[+++]propriate mechanisms;