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Directive 2006/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (repealed)Show full title

Directive 2006/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 relating to the taking up and pursuit of the business of credit institutions (recast) (Text with EEA relevance) (repealed)

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CHAPTER 1U.K.Principles of prudential supervision

Section 1U.K.Competence of home and host Member State

Article 40U.K.

1.The prudential supervision of a credit institution, including that of the activities it carries on accordance with Articles 23 and 24, shall be the responsibility of the competent authorities of the home Member State, without prejudice to those provisions of this Directive which give responsibility to the competent authorities of the host Member State.

2.Paragraph 1 shall not prevent supervision on a consolidated basis pursuant to this Directive.

[F13. The competent authorities in one Member State shall, in the exercise of their general duties, duly consider the potential impact of their decisions on the stability of the financial system in all other Member States concerned and, in particular, in emergency situations, based on the information available at the relevant time.]

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

Article 41U.K.

Host Member States shall, pending further coordination, retain responsibility in cooperation with the competent authorities of the home Member State for the supervision of the liquidity of the branches of credit institutions.

Without prejudice to the measures necessary for the reinforcement of the European Monetary System, host Member States shall retain complete responsibility for the measures resulting from the implementation of their monetary policies.

Such measures may not provide for discriminatory or restrictive treatment based on the fact that a credit institution is authorised in another Member State.

Article 42U.K.

The competent authorities of the Member States concerned shall collaborate closely in order to supervise the activities of credit institutions operating, in particular through a branch, in one or more Member States other than that in which their head offices are situated. They shall supply one another with all information concerning the management and ownership of such credit institutions that is likely to facilitate their supervision and the examination of the conditions for their authorisation, and all information likely to facilitate the monitoring of such institutions, in particular with regard to liquidity, solvency, deposit guarantees, the limiting of large exposures, administrative and accounting procedures and internal control mechanisms.

[F2The competent authorities may refer to EBA situations where a request for collaboration, in particular to exchange information, has been rejected or has not been acted upon within a reasonable time. Without prejudice to Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), EBA may, in situations referred to in the first sentence, act in accordance with the powers conferred on it under Article 19 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010.

In order to ensure consistent harmonisation of this Article, EBA shall develop draft regulatory technical standards to specify the information contained in this Article.

In order to ensure uniform conditions of application of this Article, EBA shall develop draft implementing technical standards to establish standard forms, templates and procedures for the information sharing requirements which are likely to facilitate the monitoring of credit institutions.

EBA shall submit those draft technical standards to the Commission by 1 January 2014 .

Power is delegated to the Commission to adopt the regulatory technical standards referred to in the third paragraph in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010.

Power is also conferred on the Commission to adopt the implementing technical standards referred to in the fourth paragraph in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010.]

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

[F1Article 42a U.K.

1. The competent authorities of a host Member State may make a request to the consolidating supervisor where Article 129(1) applies or to the competent authorities of the home Member State, for a branch of a credit institution to be considered as significant.

That request shall provide reasons for considering the branch to be significant with particular regard to the following:

(a) whether the market share of the branch of a credit institution in terms of deposit exceeds 2 % in the host Member State;

(b) the likely impact of a suspension or closure of the operations of the credit institution on market liquidity and the payment and clearing and settlement systems in the host Member State; and

(c) the size and the importance of the branch in terms of number of clients within the context of the banking or financial system of the host Member State.

The competent authorities of the home and host Member States, and the consolidating supervisor where Article 129(1) applies, shall do everything within their power to reach a joint decision on the designation of a branch as being significant.

If no joint decision is reached within two months of receipt of a request under the first subparagraph, the competent authorities of the host Member State shall take their own decision within a further period of two months on whether the branch is significant. In taking their decision, the competent authorities of the host Member State shall take into account any views and reservations of the consolidating supervisor or the competent authorities of the home Member State.

[F2If, at the end of the initial two-month period any of the competent authorities concerned has referred the matter to EBA in accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010, the competent authorities of the host Member State shall defer their decision and await the decision that EBA may take in accordance with Article 19(3) of that Regulation. The competent authorities of the host Member State shall take their decision in conformity with that of EBA. The two-month period shall be deemed to be the ‘ conciliation phase ’ within the meaning of Article 19 of that Regulation. EBA shall take its decision within 1 month. The matter shall not be referred to EBA after the end of the initial two month period or after a joint decision has been reached.]

The decisions referred to in the third and fourth subparagraph shall be set out in a document containing the fully reasoned decision and transmitted to the competent authorities concerned, and shall be recognised as determinative and applied by the competent authorities in the Member States concerned.

The designation of a branch as being significant shall not affect the rights and responsibilities of the competent authorities under this Directive.

2. The competent authorities of the home Member State shall communicate to the competent authorities of a host Member State where a significant branch is established the information referred to in Article 132(1)(c) and (d) and carry out the tasks referred to in Article 129(1)(c) in cooperation with the competent authorities of the host Member State.

If a competent authority of a home Member State becomes aware of an emergency situation within a credit institution as referred to in Article 130(1), it shall alert as soon as practicable the authorities referred to in the fourth paragraph of Article 49 and in Article 50.

3. Where Article 131a does not apply, the competent authorities supervising a credit institution with significant branches in other Member States shall establish and chair a college of supervisors to facilitate the cooperation under paragraph 2 of this Article and Article 42. The establishment and functioning of the college shall be based on written arrangements determined, after consultation with competent authorities concerned, by the competent authority of the home Member State. The competent authority of the home Member State shall decide which competent authorities participate in a meeting or in an activity of the college.

The decision of the competent authority of the home Member State shall take account of the relevance of the supervisory activity to be planned or coordinated for those authorities, in particular the potential impact on the stability of the financial system in the Member States concerned referred to in Article 40(3) and the obligations referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article.

The competent authority of the home Member State shall keep all members of the college fully informed, in advance, of the organisation of such meetings, the main issues to be discussed and the activities to be considered. The competent authority of the home Member State shall also keep all the members of the college fully informed, in a timely manner, of the actions taken in those meetings or the measures carried out.

[F2In order to ensure consistent harmonisation of this Article, EBA may develop draft regulatory technical standards in order to specify general conditions for the functioning of colleges of supervisors.

Power is delegated to the Commission to adopt the regulatory technical standards referred to in the fourth subparagraph in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010.

In order to ensure uniform conditions of application of this Article, EBA may develop draft implementing technical standards in order to determine the operational functioning of colleges of supervisors.

Power is conferred on the Commission to adopt the implementing technical standards referred to in the sixth subparagraph in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010.]

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

Article 42b U.K.

[F31. In the exercise of their duties, the competent authorities shall take into account the convergence in respect of supervisory tools and supervisory practices in the application of the laws, regulations and administrative requirements adopted pursuant to this Directive. For that purpose, Member States shall ensure that:

(a) the competent authorities participate in the activities of EBA;

(b) the competent authorities follow the guidelines and recommendations of EBA and state the reasons if they do not do so;

(c) national mandates conferred on the competent authorities do not inhibit the performance of their duties as members of EBA or under this Directive.] ]

F42.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

Article 43U.K.

1.Host Member States shall provide that, where a credit institution authorised in another Member State carries on its activities through a branch, the competent authorities of the home Member State may, after having first informed the competent authorities of the host Member State, carry out themselves or through the intermediary of persons they appoint for that purpose on-the-spot verification of the information referred to in Article 42.

2.The competent authorities of the home Member State may also, for purposes of the verification of branches, have recourse to one of the other procedures laid down in Article 141.

3.Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not affect the right of the competent authorities of the host Member State to carry out, in the discharge of their responsibilities under this Directive, on-the-spot verifications of branches established within their territory.

Section 2U.K.Exchange of information and professional secrecy

Article 44U.K.

1.Member States shall provide that all persons working for or who have worked for the competent authorities, as well as auditors or experts acting on behalf of the competent authorities, shall be bound by the obligation of professional secrecy.

No confidential information which they may receive in the course of their duties may be divulged to any person or authority whatsoever, except in summary or collective form, such that individual credit institutions cannot be identified, without prejudice to cases covered by criminal law.

Nevertheless, where a credit institution has been declared bankrupt or is being compulsorily wound up, confidential information which does not concern third parties involved in attempts to rescue that credit institution may be divulged in civil or commercial proceedings.

[F32. Paragraph 1 shall not prevent the competent authorities of the various Member States from exchanging information or transmitting information to EBA in accordance with this Directive, with other Directives applicable to credit institutions, and with Articles 31 and 35 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010. That information shall be subject to the conditions relating to professional secrecy set out in paragraph 1.]

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

Article 45U.K.

Competent authorities receiving confidential information under Article 44 may use it only in the course of their duties and only for the following purposes:

(a)

to check that the conditions governing the taking-up of the business of credit institutions are met and to facilitate monitoring, on a non-consolidated or consolidated basis, of the conduct of such business, especially with regard to the monitoring of liquidity, solvency, large exposures, and administrative and accounting procedures and internal control mechanisms;

(b)

to impose penalties;

(c)

in an administrative appeal against a decision of the competent authority; or

(d)

in court proceedings initiated pursuant to Article 55 or to special provisions provided for in this in other Directives adopted in the field of credit institutions.

[F3Article 46 U.K.

In accordance with Article 33 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010, Member States and EBA may conclude cooperation agreements, providing for exchanges of information, with the competent authorities of third countries or with authorities or bodies of third countries as defined in Article 47 and Article 48(1) of this Directive only if the information disclosed is subject to guarantees of professional secrecy at least equivalent to those referred to in Article 44(1) of this Directive. Such exchange of information shall be for the purpose of performing the supervisory tasks of those authorities or bodies.

Where the information originates in another Member State, it shall not be disclosed without the express agreement of the authorities which have disclosed it and, where appropriate, solely for the purposes for which those authorities gave their agreement.]

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

Article 47U.K.

Articles 44(1) and 45 shall not preclude the exchange of information within a Member State, where there are two or more competent authorities in the same Member State, or between Member States, between competent authorities and the following:

(a)

authorities entrusted with the public duty of supervising other financial organisations and insurance companies and the authorities responsible for the supervision of financial markets;

(b)

bodies involved in the liquidation and bankruptcy of credit institutions and in other similar procedures; and

(c)

persons responsible for carrying out statutory audits of the accounts of credit institutions and other financial institutions;

in the discharge of their supervisory functions.

Articles 44(1) and 45 shall not preclude the disclosure to bodies which administer deposit-guarantee schemes of information necessary to the exercise of their functions.

In both cases, the information received shall be subject to the conditions of professional secrecy specified in Article 44(1).

Article 48U.K.

1.Notwithstanding Articles 44 to 46, Member States may authorise exchange of information between the competent authorities and the following:

(a)the authorities responsible for overseeing the bodies involved in the liquidation and bankruptcy of credit institutions and in other similar procedures; and

(b)the authorities responsible for overseeing persons charged with carrying out statutory audits of the accounts of insurance undertakings, credit institutions, investment firms and other financial institutions.

In such cases, Member States shall require fulfilment of at least the following conditions:

(a)the information shall be for the purpose of performing the supervisory task referred to in the first subparagraph;

(b)information received in this context shall be subject to the conditions of professional secrecy specified in Article 44(1); and

(c)where the information originates in another Member State, it may not be disclosed without the express agreement of the competent authorities which have disclosed it and, where appropriate, solely for the purposes for which those authorities gave their agreement.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission and to the other Member States the names of the authorities which may receive information pursuant to this paragraph.

2.Notwithstanding Articles 44 to 46, Member States may, with the aim of strengthening the stability, including integrity, of the financial system, authorise the exchange of information between the competent authorities and the authorities or bodies responsible under law for the detection and investigation of breaches of company law.

In such cases Member States shall require fulfilment of at least the following conditions:

(a)the information is for the purpose of performing the task referred to in the first subparagraph;

(b)information received in this context is subject to the conditions of professional secrecy specified in Article 44(1); and

(c)where the information originates in another Member State, it may not be disclosed without the express agreement of the competent authorities which have disclosed it and, where appropriate, solely for the purposes for which those authorities gave their agreement.

Where, in a Member State, the authorities or bodies referred to in the first subparagraph perform their task of detection or investigation with the aid, in view of their specific competence, of persons appointed for that purpose and not employed in the public sector, the possibility of exchanging information provided for in the first subparagraph may be extended to such persons under the conditions specified in the second subparagraph.

In order to implement the third subparagraph, the authorities or bodies referred to in the first subparagraph shall communicate to the competent authorities which have disclosed the information, the names and precise responsibilities of the persons to whom it is to be sent.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission and to the other Member States the names of the authorities or bodies which may receive information pursuant to this Article.

The Commission shall draw up a report on the application of the provisions of this Article.

Article 49U.K.

[F3This Section shall not prevent a competent authority from transmitting information to the following for the purposes of their tasks:

(a)

central banks of the European System of the Central Banks and other bodies with a similar function in their capacity as monetary authorities when the information is relevant for the exercise of their respective statutory tasks, including the conduct of monetary policy and related liquidity provision, oversight of payments, clearing and settlement systems, and the safeguarding of stability of the financial system;

(b)

where appropriate, other public authorities responsible for overseeing payment systems;

(c)

the European Systemic Risk Board (hereinafter the ‘ESRB’), where that information is relevant for the exercise of its statutory tasks under Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on European Union macro-prudential oversight of the financial system and establishing a European Systemic Risk Board (1) .

This Section shall not prevent the authorities or bodies referred to in the first subparagraph from communicating to the competent authorities such information as they may need for the purposes of Article 45.]

This Section shall not prevent such authorities or bodies from communicating to the competent authorities such information as they may need for the purposes of Article 45.

Information received in this context shall be subject to the conditions of professional secrecy specified in Article 44(1).

[F3In an emergency situation as referred to in Article 130(1), Member States shall allow the competent authorities to communicate, without delay, information to the central banks in the European System of the Central Banks where that information is relevant for the exercise of their statutory tasks, including the conduct of monetary policy and related liquidity provision, the oversight of payments, clearing and securities settlement systems, and the safeguarding stability of the financial system, and to the ESRB under Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010, where such information is relevant for the exercise of its statutory tasks.]

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

Article 50U.K.

Notwithstanding Articles 44(1) and 45, the Member States may, by virtue of provisions laid down by law, authorise the disclosure of certain information to other departments of their central government administrations responsible for legislation on the supervision of credit institutions, financial institutions, investment services and insurance companies and to inspectors acting on behalf of those departments.

However, such disclosures may be made only where necessary for reasons of prudential control.

[F1In an emergency situation as referred to in Article 130(1), Member States shall allow competent authorities to disclose information which is relevant to the departments referred to in the first paragraph of this Article in all Member States concerned.]

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

Article 51U.K.

The Member States shall provide that information received under Articles 44(2) and 47 and information obtained by means of the on-the-spot verification referred to in Article 43(1) and (2) may never be disclosed in the cases referred to in Article 50 except with the express consent of the competent authorities which disclosed the information or of the competent authorities of the Member State in which on-the-spot verification was carried out.

Article 52U.K.

This Section shall not prevent the competent authorities of a Member State from communicating the information referred to in Articles 44 to 46 to a clearing house or other similar body recognised under national law for the provision of clearing or settlement services for one of their national markets if they consider that it is necessary to communicate the information in order to ensure the proper functioning of those bodies in relation to defaults or potential defaults by market participants. The information received in this context shall be subject to the conditions of professional secrecy specified in Article 44(1).

The Member States shall, however, ensure that information received under Article 44(2) may not be disclosed in the circumstances referred to in this Article without the express consent of the competent authorities which disclosed it.

Section 3U.K.Duty of persons responsible for the legal control of annual and consolidated accounts

Article 53U.K.

1.Member States shall provide at least that any person authorised within the meaning of Directive 84/253/EEC(2) performing in a credit institution the task described in Article 51 of Directive 78/660/EEC, Article 37 of Directive 83/349/EEC or Article 31 of Directive 85/611/EEC(3), or any other statutory task, shall have a duty to report promptly to the competent authorities any fact or decision concerning that credit institution of which he has become aware while carrying out that task which is liable to:

(a)constitute a material breach of the laws, regulations or administrative provisions which lay down the conditions governing authorisation or which specifically govern pursuit of the activities of credit institutions;

(b)affect the continuous functioning of the credit institution; or

(c)lead to refusal to certify the accounts or to the expression of reservations.

Member States shall provide at least that that person shall likewise have a duty to report any fact or decision of which he becomes aware in the course of carrying out a task as described in the first sub-paragraph in an undertaking having close links resulting from a control relationship with the credit institution within which he is carrying out that task.

2.The disclosure in good faith to the competent authorities, by persons authorised within the meaning of Directive 84/253/EEC, of any fact or decision referred to in paragraph 1 shall not constitute a breach of any restriction on disclosure of information imposed by contract or by any legislative, regulatory or administrative provision and shall not involve such persons in liability of any kind.

Section 4U.K.Power of sanction and right to apply to the courts

Article 54U.K.

Without prejudice to the procedures for the withdrawal of authorisations and the provisions of criminal law, the Member States shall provide that their respective competent authorities may, as against credit institutions, or those who effectively control the business of credit institutions, which breach laws, regulations or administrative provisions concerning the supervision or pursuit of their activities, adopt or impose penalties or measures aimed specifically at ending the observed breaches or the causes of such breaches.

[F5Member States shall ensure that, for the purposes of the first paragraph, their respective competent authorities have the power to impose or apply financial and non-financial penalties or other measures. Those penalties or measures shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.]

Textual Amendments

Textual Amendments

Article 55U.K.

Member States shall ensure that decisions taken in respect of a credit institution in pursuance of laws, regulations and administrative provisions adopted in accordance with this Directive may be subject to the right to apply to the courts. The same shall apply where no decision is taken, within six months of its submission, in respect of an application for authorisation which contains all the information required under the provisions in force.

(2)

Eighth Council Directive 84/253/EEC of 10 April 1984 on the approval of persons responsible for carrying out the statutory audits of accounting documents (OJ L 126, 12.5.1984, p. 20).

(3)

Council Directive 85/611/EEC of 20 December 1985 on the coordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) (OJ L 375, 31.12.1985, p. 3). Directive as last amended by Directive 2005/1/EC.

Textual Amendments

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