[Title III B — U.K. Rules applicable to subsidiaries of parent undertakings governed by the laws of a third country and to acquisitions of holdings by such parent undertakings]
[ [Article 29a U.K.
1. The competent authorities of the Member States shall inform the Commission and the competent authorities of the other Member States:
(a) of any authorisation of a direct or indirect subsidiary, one or more of whose parent undertakings are governed by the law of a third country;
(b) whenever such a parent undertaking acquires a holding in a Community insurance undertaking which would turn the latter into its subsidiary.
2. When the authorisation referred to in paragraph 1(a) is granted to the direct or indirect subsidiary of one or more parent undertakings governed by the law of a third country, the structure of the group shall be specified in the notification which the competent authorities shall address to the Commission.]
Article 29b U.K.
1. Member States shall inform the Commission of any general difficulties encountered by their insurance undertakings in establishing themselves or carrying on their activities in a third country.
2. Initially not later than six months before the application of this Directive, and thereafter periodically, the Commission shall draw up a report examining the treatment accorded to Community insurance undertakings in third countries, in the terms referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4, as regards establishment and the carrying on of insurance activities, and the acquisition of holdings in third-country insurance undertakings. The Commission shall submit those reports to the Council, together with any appropriate proposals.
3. Whenever it appears to the Commission, either on the basis of the reports referred to in paragraph 2 or on the basis of other information, that a third country is not granting Community insurance undertakings effective market access comparable to that granted by the Community to insurance undertakings from that third country, the Commission may submit proposals to the Council for the appropriate mandate for negotiation with a view to obtaining comparable competitive opportunities for Community insurance undertakings. The Council shall decide by a qualified majority.
4. Whenever it appears to the Commission, either on the basis of the reports referred to in paragraph 2 or on the basis of other information, that Community insurance undertakings in a third country are not receiving national treatment offering the same competitive opportunities as are available to domestic insurance undertakings and that the conditions of effective market access are not being fulfilled, the Commission may initiate negotiations in order to remedy the situation.
[In the circumstances described in the first subparagraph, it may also be decided at any time, and in addition to initiating negotiations, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 5 of Decision 1999/468/EC () and in compliance with Article 7(3) and Article 8 thereof that the competent authorities of the Member States must limit or suspend their decisions regarding the following:
(a)
requests for authorisation, whether pending at the moment of the decision or submitted thereafter;
(b)
the acquisition of holdings by direct or indirect parent undertakings governed by the law of the third country in question.]
The duration of the measures referred to may not exceed three months.
Before the end of that three-month period, and in the light of the results of the negotiations, the Council may, acting on a proposal from the Commission, decide by a qualified majority that the measures shall be continued.
Such limitations or suspension may not apply to the setting up of subsidiaries by insurance undertakings or their subsidiaries duly authorized in the Community, or to the acquisition of holdings in Community insurance undertakings by such undertakings or subsidiaries.
5. Whenever it appears to the Commission that one of the situations described in paragraphs 3 and 4 has arisen, the Member States shall inform it at its request:
(a) of any request for the authorization of a direct or indirect subsidiary, one or more parent undertakings of which are governed by the laws of the third country in question;
(b) of any plans for such an undertaking to acquire a holding in a Community insurance undertaking such that the latter would become the subsidiary of the former.
This obligation to provide information shall lapse once an agreement is concluded with the third country referred to in paragraph 3 or 4 or when the measures referred to in the second and third subparagraphs of paragraph 4 cease to apply.
6. Measures taken under this Article shall comply with the Community's obligations under any international agreements, bilateral or multilateral, governing the taking-up and pursuit of the business of insurance undertakings.]