Today, Montenegro and Albania advanced on their European integration path by becoming the first-ever enlargement countries to join the geographical scope of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) following the green light by the European Payments Council (EPC). This is a practical example of the impact of the Growth Plan, an EU initiative to accelerate the socio-economic integration of the Western Balkans into the EU, including through progressive access to certain areas of the EU single market based on alignment with the EU acquis Communautaire.As a result of the European Payments Council decision, the payment service providers of these two countries will