[ANNEX III U.K. TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE OPENING AND OPERATION OF A TIPS DEDICATED CASH ACCOUNT (TIPS DCA) IN TARGET2-ECB
Appendix V
TIPS CONNECTIVITY TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS U.K.
SERVICES OF THE TIPS NETWORK SERVICE PROVIDER U.K.
General service description U.K.
1. The TIPS network service provider connects the TIPS DCA holder and/or its reachable party to the TIPS platform and provides a secure messaging service based on a Closed Group of Users (CGU) and PKI, as well as support and incident management services. U.K.
2. All the services provided by the TIPS network service provider to the TIPS DCA holders shall be offered under a separate agreement entered into between them and in accordance with the detailed requirements for network service providers set out in the connectivity documentation as it shall read from time to time (hereinafter the ‘ connectivity documentation ’ ). The connectivity documentation is available on the ECB's website and consists of: (a) the document entitled ‘ Connectivity — technical requirements ’ and the following attachments to it: ‘ MEPT — Message Exchange Processing for TIPS ’ and ‘ NSP Compliance Check Procedure ’ ; and (b) the TIPS connectivity hosting terms and conditions. The TIPS DCA holders are invited to include the connectivity documentation in their agreement with the TIPS network service provider. U.K.
3. In order for a network service provider to enter into an agreement with a TIPS DCA holder as a TIPS network service provider, a compliance check of the network service provider shall be carried out to ensure that such provider is technically compliant with the requirements set out in the document ‘ Connectivity — technical requirements ’ . This check shall include, first, an evaluation of the network service provider's technical offer. If this evaluation is positive, a second stage of the compliance check shall be carried out, which includes a series of tests of the network service provider's technical solution. The compliance check is described in further detail in the ‘ NSP Compliance Check Procedure ’ referred to in paragraph 2. U.K.
4. If the network service provider successfully completes the compliance check, it signs the TIPS connectivity hosting terms and conditions with Banca d'Italia. Such TIPS network service provider may then be used by any TIPS DCA holders, under a separate agreement entered into by the former and the latter, and their names will be published on the ECB's website, solely for information purposes. The compliance check referred to in paragraph 3 shall be carried out within 120 calendar days from the date of the official notification of the start of that procedure to the TIPS DCA holder. U.K.
5. If a network service provider does not successfully complete any stage of the compliance check referred to in paragraph 3, the ECB shall inform the TIPS DCA holder at whose request the assessment referred to in paragraph 3 was initiated, of the rejection and the reasons for it. U.K.
6. It shall be incumbent upon TIPS DCA holders, in their own interest and under their separate agreement with their TIPS network service provider, to monitor whether the connectivity services to be provided by their TIPS network service provider fulfil all the technical and operational requirements as referred to in paragraph 2 at the time of the compliance check procedure, and for the entire period of time that the TIPS DCA holders are connected to the TIPS Platform. U.K.
7. Any TIPS platform-providing NCBs' monitoring of a TIPS network service provider's compliance with the technical and operational requirements shall be undertaken in the sole interest of protecting the integrity of the TIPS Platform and, hence, without prejudice to the monitoring carried out by the TIPS DCA holder in accordance with paragraph 6. U.K.
8. A TIPS network service provider may be disconnected from the TIPS platform if it ceases to meet the conditions of the connectivity documentation described in paragraph 2 or if the TIPS connectivity hosting terms and conditions are terminated for any other reason, as laid down in those terms and conditions. If a TIPS network service provider's connection to the TIPS Platform is terminated, it will be removed from the list of TIPS network service providers.] U.K.