DEBES - The Danish Part of TARGET

1. Introduction

DEBES - the Danish part of the future euro-payment system TARGET - is halfway through the testing phase and the activities related to the implementation of the system are under way.

The purpose of this article is to present a brief overview of the structure and functions of DEBES, as well as the conditions for participation. The article generally corresponds to the memorandum distributed by Danmarks Nationalbank to potential participants in the system at the beginning of April 1998 as the basis for their consideration of whether they wish to participate in DEBES.

The design of DEBES has been subject to ongoing discussion with the financial sector, including the TARGET working group of the Danish Bankers Association, the TARGET user group of Danmarks Nationalbank and Danmarks Nationalbank's "Working Group on the Danish euro-payments infrastructure". The system is a significant innovation. DEBES will thus in central areas facilitate cross-border settlement of payments in the same way as today's domestic payment-settlement system.

This article outlines the most significant aspects of the structure of and participation in DEBES, including functions, administration, participants, legal conditions and technical requirements, and interfaces with other systems.

2. DEBES

In connection with the future Economic and Monetary Union on January 1, 1999 all 15 EU member states will introduce the common European payment system, TARGET¹⁾. The Danish part of TARGET is called DEBES: Danmarks EuroBEtalingsSystem.

In the following a distinction is made between DEBES (the Danish system) and TARGET (the entire European system).

2.1 TARGET - the structure of the system

TARGET is a real-time gross-settlement system²⁾ which allows participants - financial institutions throughout Europe - to transfer euro-denominated payments to each other with immediate effect. The payments are transferred between the central-bank accounts of the participants and the system can handle inter-bank payments for participants' own or customers' accounts. Each payment is handled individually, with immediate confirmation of execution.

TARGET is being established to provide a fast and safe system for execution of cross-border euro-denominated payments, including facilitation of the monetary-policy transactions of the future European Central Bank (ECB). TARGET will be implemented in all 15 EU member states. The system is designed primarily for transfer of large-value payments, but may also be used for retail payments.

Technically, TARGET comprises the national systems of all 15 member states interlinked by a S.W.I.F.T.-based³⁾ communication network between the 15 central banks. The Chart below shows the structure of TARGET.

As the Chart shows, all payments are transferred via the domestic central bank, which besides operation of the system is responsible for the bookkeeping. For Danish participants amounts are thus booked to euro-denominated accounts with Danmarks Nationalbank.

2.2 DEBES - the structure of the system

The Danish part of TARGET is called DEBES. Like Danmarks Nationalbank's system for krone-denominated payments, the DN Inquiry and Transfer System, DEBES is a real-time gross-settlement system.

In practice, DEBES payments are made in much the same way as normal S.W.I.F.T. payments, i.e. traditional international payment transfers. In the case of a domestic DEBES payment a normal S.W.I.F.T. message is transmitted to the recipient via a closed part of the S.W.I.F.T. network (a "closed user group") which solely comprises DEBES participants. During the process, Danmarks Nationalbank checks the availability of funds and books the transfer to the accounts of the two participants. When the payment recipient receives the S.W.I.F.T. message the funds have been credited to that party's account with Danmarks Nationalbank.

For a payment to a TARGET participant outside Denmark (a cross-border payment) the payment order is transmitted via S.W.I.F.T. (and the closed user group) directly to Danmarks Nationalbank. The identification of the recipient is stated in the payment order itself. Danmarks Nationalbank will check the availability of funds, book the transfer and transmit the payment to the recipient's national central bank, which will book the amount to the recipient's account and relay the message in the domestic format.

Any amounts received in the DEBES system are credited to accounts with Danmarks Nationalbank.

The participants are linked to DEBES via a S.W.I.F.T. interface and terminal-based access. Payments may only be made via S.W.I.F.T., but the participants may choose whether they wish to use the terminal or S.W.I.F.T. for service functions (payment statements, queue functions, etc.). The participants may thus choose between:

DEBES is a technical advance on the DN Inquiry and Transfer System in the following respects:

2.3 Queue function

DEBES contains a queue function which is activated automatically when payments are executed. Should a DEBES participant transmit a payment without having the necessary euro-denominated liquidity available, the payment concerned (and any subsequent payments) is automatically placed in a DEBES payment queue. Each participant has constant access to view his own queue and may also influence the content of the queue, the order of the payments, etc.

Since DEBES is a real-time settlement system, it is not possible to place payments in the queue for settlement on subsequent days. However, there is nothing to prevent each DEBES participant from establishing such a queue in the participant's own system and waiting to transfer the payments to DEBES on the required settlement day.

2.4 Opening days and hours

In 1999 DEBES will be open every day except weekends, December 25 and January 1 (corresponding to all international TARGET opening days).

The participating central banks may choose to close on national holidays. On such national closing days participants in the relevant country will neither be able to send nor receive payments via the system. The possibility of national closing days means that the systems of the respective countries will not necessarily have the same opening days, although it seems extremely likely that the major markets will arrange to stay open on all possible days. Danmarks Nationalbank is not at present aware of any requirements for the Danish DEBES participants to have staff available on the opening days which are Danish public holidays. The final list of national closing days will be published in September 1998. This list will only apply to 1999. Prior to August 1 each year the national central banks must inform the ECB of the opening days of their national euro-payment systems in the following year.

DEBES will be open for customer payments from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and for inter-bank payments from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., corresponding to the international TARGET opening hours.

It should also be stated that the DN Inquiry and Transfer System will retain its present opening days and hours (from 8 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. on banking days).

2.5 Intra-day liquidity

The EU central banks are continuing their preparations for TARGET. All EU member states will be connected to TARGET irrespective of whether they participate in the single currency or not. However, many factors indicate that the member states outside the euro area will participate on more restrictive terms than the euro countries.

The most significant restriction is that limits will probably be imposed on the intra-day liquidity made available to the central banks of the member states outside EMU. So far, three models are being considered in connection with access to intra-day credit⁴⁾:

1. Fines and other sanctions in the event of uncovered overdrafts at the end of the day.
2. Maximum limits (possibly zero) for intra-day credit supplied by central banks in the euro area to central banks outside the euro area.
3. Earlier closing time for credit to TARGET participants (central banks and credit institutions) outside the euro area in order to allow time for overdrafts to be covered before the rest of the system closes.

The exact terms will not be known until the ECB has made its decision in this regard later in the year. The Danish participants must prepare their systems to accommodate any restrictions on intra-day liquidity.

If only limited or no access to euro liquidity is offered to DEBES participants it will be possible to obtain euro liquidity either by awaiting ingoing euro-denominated payments or by purchasing or borrowing euro from other participants in Denmark or abroad.

2.6 Provision of collateral and drawing limits

Any intra-day liquidity provided for Danmarks Nationalbank will be made available to DEBES participants against provision of sufficient collateral. Any intra-day liquidity will probably be distributed among DEBES participants in proportion to the fixed charges paid by the participants.

Any liquidity is made available to the DEBES participants against advance provision of collateral as the deposit of securities (as in the DN Inquiry and Transfer System). A separate euro-denominated safekeeping account will be established for such collateral. This solution has been chosen so as to be able to handle any special requirements for the provision of collateral for euro-denominated credit and to avoid creating excessive ties between the krone and euro systems.

It has not yet been determined which securities may be used as collateral for any euro-denominated credit. The clarification awaits an ECB decision. Danmarks Nationalbank is expected to be able to accept krone-denominated securities registered with the Danish Securities Centre.

2.7 The euro-account structure

Direct participants in DEBES are required to hold a euro-denominated main account with Danmarks Nationalbank. DEBES payments are booked to this account. Separate euro settlement accounts will be established for other payment systems (euro securities settlement clearing and euro retail clearing). Any transfer of funds from the main euro account to the euro settlement accounts may take place only via DEBES.

Euro-denominated accounts with Danmarks Nationalbank will not accrue interest.

2.8 DEBES participants

No special requirements have been agreed for access to TARGET. The general requirements for payment systems as agreed by the EU central banks will be applied. These are set out in the EMI report "Minimum Common Features for Domestic Payment Systems" of November 1993. This report states that, as a general rule, only credit institutions have direct access to payment systems. However, other institutions subject to supervision (e.g. mutual funds) and quasi-public enterprises may also be direct participants.

Danmarks Nationalbank's access requirements, which have been adjusted to the international requirements, are set out in Danmarks Nationalbank's account regulations ("Regulations Concerning Current Accounts with Danmarks Nationalbank"). Credit institutions and mutual funds

covered by the second banking directive and the investment services directive comply with the access requirements. The same applies to other branches in Denmark of equivalent foreign institutions subject to the supervision of the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. Finally, access to hold accounts may be extended to other parties complying with the international requirements which are deemed by Danmarks Nationalbank to play a significant role in the settlement of payments.

There are expected to be approximately 5,000 direct and approximately 35,000 indirect participants in TARGET throughout Europe. This will make it possible to transmit payments to approximately 40,000 recipient banks and their customers. In September 1998 S.W.I.F.T. will publish a list of the institutions which can be addressed via TARGET.

2.9 Indirect participants

It is possible to become an indirect DEBES participant. An indirect participant holds no euro-denominated main account with Danmarks Nationalbank, but may send and receive TARGET payments via a direct DEBES participant (holding a main account). An indirect participant may participate via one direct participant only.

Indirect participants are displayed alongside direct participants in S.W.I.F.T.'s list of institutions which can be addressed via TARGET.

Indirect DEBES participants may be listed as recipients of cross-border payments since DEBES will automatically book the payment to the account of the institution recorded in DEBES as a direct participant. Only direct DEBES participants may send payments.

2.10 Limited (domestic) participation

The Danish Bankers Association has inquired whether it will be possible to segregate participation in the domestic part from cross-border participation in order to reduce the costs of access solely to effect domestic payments. This is a necessary function for participation in future euro settlements in the retail-clearing and securities settlement clearing systems.

This segregation is not possible due to the limitations imposed on pricing by the European Monetary Institute (EMI)⁵⁾. The EMI has decided that charges for cross-border payments must be collected solely via a transaction price. It is thus not possible to divide entry fees and periodic fees into fees for respectively cross-border participation and for national participation. These fees may only be charged for participation in the national systems. However, the fees are at a level which will not be a barrier to participation.

2.11 Remote participation

Physical location in Denmark is not a condition for DEBES participation. Any credit institution established in and subject to the supervision of another EU member state or EEA country may thus become a remote participant in DEBES.

2.12 Capacity and transaction time

The system has been developed to process a very large number of transactions. TARGET is thus expected to be able to handle without difficulty the millions of TARGET transactions every year expected by the EMI.

Both DEBES and the entire TARGET system are real-time systems. So under normal circumstances no more than a few minutes are expected to elapse from the debiting of the account of the sending bank to the crediting of the account of the recipient bank.

2.13 Availability and security

Great efforts have been made to ensure high availability of DEBES and the entire TARGET system. The requirement is no more than one breakdown of maximum one hour's duration per month for each national system. In the event of a disaster at Danmarks Nationalbank's data processing centre, DEBES must be re-established at another location within four hours. This requirement also applies to the TARGET systems of the other EU member states.

The emergency communication procedures between the participants and Danmarks Nationalbank are expected to correspond to the current procedures for the DN Inquiry and Transfer System, i.e. a telefax-based solution.

Furthermore, great importance is attached to the security of the TARGET system. The EMI has conducted two extensive security analyses developed by the EMI and based on the British safety standard BS7799, which is considered to define a market standard.

2.14 Control procedures

Cross-border payments are subject to very extensive control procedures for the central banks' administration of the system in connection with the closing at the end of the day. The purpose of these procedures is for example to ensure that all bilateral transactions between the central banks are matched. No central bank may close down before the ECB has authorized the closedown and checked that all payments have been processed. The report "End of Day Procedures in TARGET"⁶⁾ presents a description of the procedures.

Cross-border payments are also subject to very extensive control procedures for the central banks' administration of the system in connection with "abnormal" situations such as delayed closing or disasters. However, these procedures concern the relations between the central banks and are not expected to be of significance to the participants.

2.15 Bank-to-bank charges for customer payments

In order to avoid misunderstandings concerning the size of the original payments, TARGET participants should credit their customer accounts with the full amount of the payment. Any fees should thus be collected separately, i.e. either from the customer or from the sending bank.

2.16 Legal conditions

Danish law and choice of legal venue shall apply to the business aspects (including legal rights and obligations), operational matters and division of liability between Danmarks Nationalbank and the DEBES participants.

2.17 Irrevocable and final payments

Payments in TARGET (and thereby in DEBES) are irrevocable when debited to the account of the sending bank.

Domestic payments are final when credited to the recipient's account. Cross-border payments are final when debited to the sender's account by the sending central bank and credited to the recipient central bank's account (internal set-off account).

In the event of difficulties after transfer to the recipient central bank (for example if the recipient RTGS member is not found), the amount will be reversed as a set-off TARGET payment.

The "Finality directive" will support the legal basis for TARGET.

2.18 The EMU transition phase

In the period between 1999 and 2002 it will be possible to specify both euro and e.g. DEM amounts in payment messages. S.W.I.F.T. has designed a "standard" for financial institutions' indication of euro-related information in the payment message. This standard is called Euro-Related Information (ERI) and is supported by DEBES.

2.19 Help desk

Danmarks Nationalbank is responsible for the day-to-day administration of DEBES. In this connection Danmarks Nationalbank will establish a "help desk" which DEBES participants can contact regarding payments, etc. Danmarks Nationalbank will assist with troubleshooting, i.e. by identifying errors in the system from the sending to the recipient bank. Any errors in the connection from the recipient bank to the recipient customer, e.g. due to an error in the account number, must be clarified bilaterally between the sending and recipient banks. However, at present the EMI is investigating opportunities to support transmission of separate customer-tocustomer messages.

3. Relations with other systems

3.1 The DN Inquiry and Transfer System

The DN Inquiry and Transfer System, the present RTGS system of the Danish banks, will not be immediately affected since DEBES can only handle euro-denominated payments. However, within the next few years it is planned to implement a new version of the DN Inquiry and Transfer System (KRONOS) with S.W.I.F.T. functionality as in DEBES.

3.2 Retail clearing

The Danish Bankers Association is planning to establish a euro-denominated retail-clearing system according to the same principles as the present krone-denominated retail-clearing system. The euro retail-clearing system will be independent of the krone retail-clearing system and will be able to process payments as in an electronic clearing system. However, of these payments it has initially only been decided to process account-to-account transfers. This means that from the outset the euro retail-clearing system is not planned to include e.g. payment service transfers by Danish Payment Systems Ltd. (PBS). The settlement time has been set provisionally at 10.30 a.m. The final time will depend inter alia on the VP settlement system for euro-denominated securities.

The euro retail-clearing system is planned to be implemented on May 15, 1999. Direct participation in the euro retail-clearing system requires direct participation in DEBES, cf. section 2.7 on Danmarks Nationalbank's euro-account structure.

3.3 VP clearing

The Danish Securities Centre (VP) and Danmarks Nationalbank are working on a model for settlement of securities against euro. This work is expected to be concluded later this year. A condition for participation as a primary liquidity provider in the euro VP clearing system (direct participant in the liquidity-settlement system) is direct participation in DEBES, cf. section 2.7 on Danmarks Nationalbank's euro-account structure.

3.4 The FUTOP system

Currently no euro products, and thereby euro-settlement in the FUTOP system, are planned.

3.5 Interrelation between the retail clearing and VP clearing systems

The system for intra-day settlement of euro payments will as far as possible be designed along the same lines as the krone-payment system, so that payments to mortgage-credit institutes can be used as disbursements to bond holders.

4. Future euro payments

TARGET will be one of around half a dozen payment systems for settlement of large-value euro-denominated payments in Europe.

TARGET is distinguished by real-time settlement, a high level of security and probably also a very large number of participants. On the other hand the liquidity requirement for TARGET will be greater than a "netting" system and the transaction costs will probably be higher than in most other systems.

References to EMI reports⁷⁾

Footnotes