Conference date for key industry VISA meeting

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An important conference has been scheduled for November 19 in Brussels on the subject of the EU Commission ruling on the overcharging of interbank credit card charges for retailers (TRW 24/10/02)

An important conference has been scheduled for November 19 in Brussels on the subject of the EU Commission ruling on the overcharging of interbank credit card charges for retailers (TRW 24/10/02). The central aim of the meeting is to progress with the reclaim of an estimated ?70m ($69m) in overcharges from VISA and to coordinate the travel-retail industry challenge to VISA's system of setting cross-border rates.

The conference is being hosted by Jacques Parson, president Kappé International and will be jointly moderated by Doug Newhouse, editor of the Duty Free Business and Martin Moodie, managing director of Moodie International. Graham Austin coordinator and director of public affairs consultants GBat Beckenham told TRW: "The purpose of the meeting is to get all retailers together. The industry claim needs to be weighty and detailed. There are a short couple of weeks to make decisions and the clock is ticking."

Kappé International president Jacques Parson met EuroCommerce president Paul Louis Halley last week. As president of EuroCommerce - the principal trade representation body to EU institutions - Halley has already made progress over the past six years in forcing the European Commission to investigate VISA's complex rate-setting mechanism. Halley is also a senior Board member of hypermarket chain Carrefour and chairman of its Strategic Committee. At the meeting Halley expressed his gratitude for Jacques Parson's efforts in developing a united front in travel retail and acknowledged the growing awareness of the issues involved in the VISA case. All parties acknowledged the significant benefits that await a successful campaign to fight these cross-border charges. Success would also set a precedent for the Commission's imminent investigation into similar cross border charging mechanisms at MasterCard. "Projecting over the next three to five years, we are talking about hundreds of millions of euros," said Austin.

The Brussels meeting will begin at 12.00 with an informal buffet lunch followed by conference presentations and debate between 1.30pm and 5.00pm. The venue is De Warande (the Flemish Club), 1 Zinnerstraat, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium. Individuals wishing to attend should contact Graham Austin on telephone: +32 2 726 1759 or by email at: enquiries@gbatbeckenham.co.uk