The development of a payment infrastructure is not solely about the product or the user experience. It also depends, in a much more subtle way, on the ability to build a framework of shared trust among all the participants connected to it.

It is in this context that Oaklen Consulting’s accreditation as an EPI Security Evaluator has been renewed for three years. This milestone builds on the work undertaken since the early stages of the initiative’s development and enables the firm to continue conducting security assessments related to the EPI ecosystem.

Led by a consortium of European banks and payment service providers, the European Payments Initiative aims to develop a payment solution tailored to the challenges of the European market, particularly through Wero. As the initiative enters a more concrete deployment phase, security issues are taking on a more operational dimension: platform audits, connection validation, and technical compliance.

In this context, Oaklen works with various stakeholders involved in the infrastructure, including the platform itself, technical service providers, and financial institutions. Nine organizations have chosen to collaborate with the firm on these issues, including Crédit Agricole Payment Services, La Banque Postale, Groupe BPCE, BRED, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, and EPI itself.

This work is part of a broader collective effort—that of an ecosystem that is gradually taking shape, in which independent assessments play a key role in aligning safety requirements, ensuring interoperability, and supporting the scaling up of usage.

The renewal of the accreditation reflects the ongoing dialogue between Oaklen and EPI regarding the need to ensure the long-term sustainability of these systems as European payment infrastructures transition from the planning stage to full operational status.