Press release from the Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia of 14 July 2009

1. At today's meeting the Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia was briefed on the conditions and procedures regarding the purchase of covered bonds in the scope of the ECB's non-standard monetary policy instruments programme. 

2. The Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia was briefed on the proposed selection of designs for commemorative coins that will be issued in 2010. 

3. At today's meeting the Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia adopted a resolution regarding direct SEPA debits, by which the Bank of Slovenia, in cooperation with Bankart, will facilitate the indirect participation of Slovenian banks in the pan-European STEP2 MPEDD (Multi Purpose Direct Debits) system, which will be established by EBA Clearing on 1 November 2009. With their inclusion in this system by means of indirect participation, Slovenian banks and savings banks will fulfil the requirement regarding accessibility for cross-border direct debits, which derives from the revised European Commission regulation on cross-border payments in euros, and applies to all payment services providers in the European Union. Euro area payment services providers must fulfil the aforementioned requirement by 1 November 2010.