Directive 2009/110/EC of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 3 General prudential rules

1. Without prejudice to this Directive, Articles 5 and 10 to 15, Article 17(7) and Articles 18 to 25 of Directive 2007/64/EC shall apply to electronic money institutions mutatis mutandis.

2. Electronic money institutions shall inform the competent authorities in advance of any material change in measures taken for safeguarding of funds that have been received in exchange for electronic money issued.

3. Any natural or legal person who has taken a decision to acquire or dispose of, directly or indirectly, a qualifying holding within the meaning of point 11 of Article 4 of Directive 2006/48/EC in an electronic money institution, or to further increase or reduce, directly or indirectly, such qualifying holding as a result of which the proportion of the capital or of the voting rights held would reach, exceed or fall below 20 %, 30 % or 50 %, or so that the electronic money institution would become or cease to be its subsidiary, shall inform the competent authorities of their intention in advance of such acquisition, disposal, increase or reduction.

The proposed acquirer shall supply to the competent authority information indicating the size of the intended holding and relevant information referred to in Article 19a(4) of Directive 2006/48/EC.

Where the influence exercised by the persons referred to in the second subparagraph is likely to operate to the detriment of the prudent and sound management of the institution, the competent authorities shall express their opposition or take other appropriate measures to bring that situation to an end. Such measures may include injunctions, sanctions against directors or managers, or the suspension of the exercise of the voting rights attached to the shares held by the shareholders or members in question.

Similar measures shall apply to natural or legal persons who fail to comply with the obligation to provide prior information, as laid down in this paragraph.

If a holding is acquired despite the opposition of the competent authorities, those authorities shall, regardless of any other sanction to be adopted, provide for the exercise of the voting rights of the acquirer to be suspended, the nullity of votes cast or the possibility of annulling those votes.

The Member States may waive or allow their competent authorities to waive the application of all or part of the obligations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of electronic money institutions that carry out one or more of the activities listed in Article 6(1)(e).

4. Member States shall allow electronic money institutions to distribute and redeem electronic money through natural or legal persons which act on their behalf. Where the electronic money institution wishes to distribute electronic money in another Member State by engaging such a natural or legal person, it shall follow the procedure set out in Article 25 of Directive 2007/64/EC.

5. Notwithstanding paragraph 4, electronic money institutions shall not issue electronic money through agents. Electronic money institutions shall be allowed to provide payment services referred to in Article 6(1)(a) through agents only if the conditions in Article 17 of Directive 2007/64/EC are met.