Payment Services Regulation: Telecoms industry welcomes political agreement towards stronger cooperation to combat fraud and protect consumers
This statement reflects our preliminary assessment based on the political agreement reached, as the final legal text has not yet been published.
Brussels, 27 November 2025: The GSMA and Connect Europe, the industry associations representing Europe’s telecoms operators, welcome the political agreement reached by the European Commission, the Council and Parliament on the Payment Services Regulation (PSR). The agreement marks a positive step towards enhancing consumer protection and tackling impersonation fraud through deeper cross-sector cooperation.
The co-legislators have rightly prioritised collaboration between payment service providers and electronic communication service providers (ECSPs), recognising that fraud prevention requires a concerted effort across the entire value chain.
Fraudsters are increasingly sophisticated, exploiting vulnerabilities and adapting rapidly to new safeguards. The new rules create a proportionate, flexible framework that will enable telecom operators, within their existing technical and legal constraints, to deploy and innovate effective anti-fraud solutions.
The industry also supports the creation of a Fraud Prevention Coordination Platform, as outlined in Article 59. The platform will be key to strengthen cooperation, share emerging threat data, and develop common interpretations of legislation. As it is implemented, the platform should maintain balanced representation, ensure confidentiality, and avoid introducing rigid technical mandates that risk becoming obsolete as fraud tactics evolve.
Overall, we welcome the focus on harmonisation and simplification, which will help overcome fragmented national interpretations that currently hinder the implementation of technical anti-fraud measures. A consistent EU-wide framework offered by the PSR will provide the certainty needed for operators and financial institutions to innovate, develop and scale anti-fraud solutions.
Telecoms operators have been investing significantly in fraud prevention. Tools such as API-based solutions under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative have enabled real-time detection of SIM swaps and suspicious activity. Combined with consumer education and awareness campaigns, these efforts will continue to be essential to complement technical measures and protect end users. Telecoms operators will work to ensure the effective implementation of the PSR and continue to collaborate with stakeholders across the value chain to effectively tackle fraud.
“Today’s agreement is a strong signal that Europe takes fraud prevention seriously. By placing cooperation between telecom operators and payment providers at the core of the PSR, the EU gives us the clarity to scale solutions that protect citizens across Europe.”
Alessandro Gropelli
-Director General, Connect Europe
“The compromise reached on the PSR will help provide European operators with the clear framework they need to counter the increasing number and sophistication of fraudsters. Fraud prevention is a cross-sector shared responsibility, and the agreement on the Regulation rightly focuses on collaboration and flexibility to protect consumers effectively.”
Laszlo Toth
-Head of Europe, GSMA