The ILF, in collaboration with Freshfields and the Center for Financial Studies, hosted its 7th Forum on Digital Financial Services: “Navigating PSD3 &PSR – The Future of Payments” on 9 June 2026 which brought together EU policymakers and high-level industry representatives to discuss the future of payment regulation and innovation.
The forum opened with welcoming remarks delivered by Ms. Janina Heinz, Partner at Freshfields, and a keynote address by Ms. Lídia Pereira, Member of the European Parliament and Shadow-Rapporteur for PSD3 and PSR, who outlined the EU's new payments rulebook and the regulatory vision underpinning the forthcoming framework. Ms. Mathilde Bonneau, Director of International Payments Policy at PayPal, then addressed the practical implications of the new rules, with a particular focus on liability, fraud prevention, strong customer authentication and the operational challenges facing payment service providers.
Three fireside chats formed the core of the afternoon program. The first, moderated by Mr. Daniel Klingenbrunn, Principal Associate at Freshfields, examined the growing role of stablecoins in the payments ecosystem, featuring Mr. Benedikt Faupel, Lead Public Affairs of Bitpanda, and Mr. Patrick Hansen, Senior Director for EU Strategy & Policy at Circle. The second, moderated by Ms. Eva Schneider, Principal Associate at Freshfields, explored the use of artificial intelligence in payments, with Mr. Matti Salakari, Head of EU Government Relations at PayPal, and Ms. Amy Aixi Zhang, Lead Product Counsel at Ramp, discussing how agentic AI is transforming payment processes. The final session, moderated by Ms. Alicia Hildner, Counsel at Freshfields, took a broader look at the future of the payments landscape, with Ms. Evelyn Bueno, Global Regulatory Counsel at SumUp, and Dr. Patrik Pohl, Managing Director and Head of Corporate Cash Management Germany at Deutsche Bank, reflecting on market trends and strategic priorities for the years ahead.
The forum provided a valuable platform for dialogue between regulators, legal experts and industry practitioners at a pivotal moment in the development of European payments policy.
