As the international standard for new bank cards, EMV  meets the needs of the new economic environment which has resulted from the internationalisation of foreign exchange and of the concept of value-added services. The international networks Europay, MasterCard and Visa together defined in 1997 the specifications for the new EMV standard.

The stakes are considerable, since over 400 million bank cards are currently in circulation throughout Europe. The migration of each country’s banking systems to EMV will be completed in 2005.

Thanks to EMV, bank cards are gaining in potential. They are more efficient and safe and can also have other functionality than just withdrawal and payment. They are multi-application and therefore multi-function: the new smart card is taking on a new dimension.

Many services are still to be defined, but initiatives have already been taken towards them.
The AFPC works in close cooperation with the Groupement des Cartes Bancaires CB [CB Bank Cards Group] to develop technical specifications and regulations to improve the technology