Legal provisions of COM(2009)502 - European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2009)502 - European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2009)502  |
| date | December 16, 2010 |
Contents
- CHAPTER I - ESTABLISHMENT AND LEGAL STATUS
- CHAPTER II - TASKS AND POWERS OF THE AUTHORITY
- CHAPTER III - ORGANISATION
- CHAPTER IV - JOINT BODIES OF THE EUROPEAN SUPERVISORY AUTHORITIES
- CHAPTER V - REMEDIES
- CHAPTER VI - FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
- CHAPTER VII - GENERAL PROVISIONS
- CHAPTER VIII - TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER I - ESTABLISHMENT AND LEGAL STATUS
Article 1
Establishment and scope of action
1. This Regulation establishes a European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) (hereinafter the Authority’).
2. The Authority shall act within the powers conferred by this Regulation and within the scope of Directive2009/138/EC with the exception of Title IV thereof, of Directives 2002/92/EC, 2003/41/EC, 2002/87/EC, 64/225/EEC, 73/239/EEC, 73/240/EEC, 76/580/EEC, 78/473/EEC, 84/641/EEC, 87/344/EEC, 88/357/EEC, 92/49/EEC, 98/78/EC, 2001/17/EC, 2002/83/EC, 2005/68/EC and, to the extent that those acts apply to insurance undertakings, reinsurance undertakings, institutions for occupational retirement provision and insurance intermediaries, within the relevant parts of Directives 2005/60/EC and 2002/65/EC, including all directives, regulations, and decisions based on those acts, and of any further legally binding Union act which confers tasks on the Authority.
3. The Authority shall also act in the field of activities of insurance undertakings, reinsurance undertakings, financial conglomerates, institutions for occupational retirement provision and insurance intermediaries, in relation to issues not directly covered in the acts referred to in paragraph 2, including matters of corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting, provided that such actions by the Authority are necessary to ensure the effective and consistent application of those acts.
4. With regard to institutions for occupational retirement provision, the Authority shall act without prejudice to national social and labour law.
5. The provisions of this Regulation are without prejudice to the powers of the Commission, in particular under Article 258 TFEU, to ensure compliance with Union law.
6. The objective of the Authority shall be to protect the public interest by contributing to the short, medium and long-term stability and effectiveness of the financial system, for the Union economy, its citizens and businesses. The Authority shall contribute to:
| (a) | improving the functioning of the internal market, including in particular a sound, effective and consistent level of regulation and supervision, |
| (b) | ensuring the integrity, transparency, efficiency and orderly functioning of financial markets, |
| (c) | strengthening international supervisory coordination, |
| (d) | preventing regulatory arbitrage and promoting equal conditions of competition, |
| (e) | ensuring the taking of risks related to insurance, reinsurance and occupational pensions activities is appropriately regulated and supervised, and |
| (f) | enhancing customer protection. |
For those purposes, the Authority shall contribute to ensuring the consistent, efficient and effective application of the acts referred to in paragraph 2, foster supervisory convergence, provide opinions to the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission and undertake economic analyses of the markets to promote the achievement of the Authority’s objective.
In the exercise of the tasks conferred upon it by this Regulation, the Authority shall pay particular attention to any potential systemic risk posed by financial institutions, the failure of which may impair the operation of the financial system or the real economy.
When carrying out its tasks, the Authority shall act independently and objectively and in the interest of the Union alone.
Article 2
European System of Financial Supervision
1. The Authority shall form part of a European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS). The main objective of the ESFS shall be to ensure that the rules applicable to the financial sector are adequately implemented to preserve financial stability and to ensure confidence in the financial system as a whole and sufficient protection for the customers of financial services.
2. The ESFS shall comprise the following:
| (a) | the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), for the purposes of the tasks as specified in Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010 and this Regulation; |
| (b) | the Authority; |
| (c) | the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) established by Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (48); |
| (d) | the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) established by Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (49); |
| (e) | the Joint Committee of the European Supervisory Authorities (Joint Committee) for the purposes of carrying out the tasks as specified in Articles 54 to 57 of this Regulation, of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 and of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010; |
| (f) | the competent or supervisory authorities in the Member States as specified in the Union acts referred to in Article 1(2) of this Regulation, of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 and of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010; |
3. The Authority shall cooperate regularly and closely with the ESRB as well as with the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) through the Joint Committee, ensuring cross-sectoral consistency of work and reaching joint positions in the area of supervision of financial conglomerates and on other cross-sectoral issues.
4. In accordance with the principle of sincere cooperation under Article 4(3) of the Treaty on European Union, the parties to the ESFS shall cooperate with trust and full mutual respect, in particular in ensuring the flow of appropriate and reliable information between them.
5. Those supervisory authorities that are party to the ESFS shall be obliged to supervise financial institutions operating in the Union in accordance with the acts referred to in Article 1(2).
Article 3
Accountability of the Authorities
The Authorities referred to in Article 2(2)(a) to (d) shall be accountable to the European Parliament and the Council.
Article 4
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation the following definitions apply:
| (1) | ‘financial institutions’ means undertakings, entities and natural and legal persons subject to any of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2). With regard to Directive 2005/60/EC, ‘financial institutions’ means only insurance undertakings and insurance intermediaries as defined in that Directive; |
| (2) | ‘competent authorities’ means:
|
Article 5
Legal status
1. The Authority shall be a Union body with legal personality.
2. In each Member State, the Authority shall enjoy the most extensive legal capacity accorded to legal persons under national law. It may, in particular, acquire or dispose of movable and immovable property and be a party to legal proceedings.
3. The Authority shall be represented by its Chairperson.
Article 6
Composition
The Authority shall comprise:
| (1) | a Board of Supervisors, which shall exercise the tasks set out in Article 43; |
| (2) | a Management Board, which shall exercise the tasks set out in Article 47; |
| (3) | a Chairperson, who shall exercise the tasks set out in Article 48; |
| (4) | an Executive Director, who shall exercise the tasks set out in Article 53; |
| (5) | a Board of Appeal, which shall exercise the tasks set out in Article 60. |
Article 7
Seat
The Authority shall have its seat in Frankfurt am Main.
CHAPTER II - TASKS AND POWERS OF THE AUTHORITY
Article 8
Tasks and powers of the Authority
1. The Authority shall have the following tasks:
| (a) | to contribute to the establishment of high-quality common regulatory and supervisory standards and practices, in particular by providing opinions to the Union institutions and by developing guidelines, recommendations, and draft regulatory and implementing technical standards which shall be based on the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2); |
| (b) | to contribute to the consistent application of legally binding Union acts, in particular by contributing to a common supervisory culture, ensuring consistent, efficient and effective application of the acts referred to in Article 1(2), preventing regulatory arbitrage, mediating and settling disagreements between competent authorities, ensuring effective and consistent supervision of financial institutions, ensuring a coherent functioning of colleges of supervisors and taking actions, inter alia, in emergency situations; |
| (c) | to stimulate and facilitate the delegation of tasks and responsibilities among competent authorities; |
| (d) | to cooperate closely with the ESRB, in particular by providing the ESRB with the necessary information for the achievement of its tasks and by ensuring a proper follow up to the warnings and recommendations of the ESRB; |
| (e) | to organise and conduct peer review analyses of competent authorities, including issuing guidelines and recommendations and identifying best practices, in order to strengthen consistency in supervisory outcomes; |
| (f) | to monitor and assess market developments in the area of its competences; |
| (g) | to undertake economic analyses of markets to inform the discharge of the Authority’s functions; |
| (h) | to foster the protection of policyholders, pension scheme members and beneficiaries |
| (i) | to contribute to the consistent and coherent functioning of colleges of supervisors, the monitoring, assessment and measurement of systemic risk, the development and coordination of recovery and resolution plans, providing a high level of protection to policy holders, to beneficiaries and throughout the Union, in accordance with Articles 21 to 26; |
| (j) | to fulfil any other specific tasks set out in this Regulation or in other legislative acts; |
| (k) | to publish on its website, and to update regularly, information relating to its field of activities, in particular, within the area of its competence, on registered financial institutions, in order to ensure information is easily accessible by the public; |
| (l) | to take over, as appropriate, all existing and ongoing tasks from the Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors (CEIOPS); |
2. To achieve the tasks set out in paragraph 1, the Authority shall have the powers set out in this Regulation, in particular to:
| (a) | develop draft regulatory technical standards in the specific cases referred to in Article 10; |
| (b) | develop draft implementing technical standards in the specific cases referred to in Article 15; |
| (c) | issue guidelines and recommendations, as laid down in Article 16; |
| (d) | issue recommendations in specific cases, as referred to in Article 17(3); |
| (e) | take individual decisions addressed to competent authorities in the specific cases referred to in Articles 18(3) and 19(3); |
| (f) | in cases concerning directly applicable Union law, take individual decisions addressed to financial institutions, in the specific cases referred to in Article 17(6), in Article 18(4) and in Article 19(4); |
| (g) | issue opinions to the European Parliament, the Council, or the Commission as provided for in Article 34; |
| (h) | collect the necessary information concerning financial institutions as provided for in Article 35; |
| (i) | develop common methodologies for assessing the effect of product characteristics and distribution processes on the financial position of institutions and on consumer protection; |
| (j) | provide a centrally accessible database of registered financial institutions in the area of its competence where specified in the acts referred to in Article 1(2). |
Article 9
Tasks related to consumer protection and financial activities
1. The Authority shall take a leading role in promoting transparency, simplicity and fairness in the market for consumer financial products or services across the internal market, including by:
| (a) | collecting, analysing and reporting on consumer trends; |
| (b) | reviewing and coordinating financial literacy and education initiatives by the competent authorities; |
| (c) | developing training standards for the industry; and |
| (d) | contributing to the development of common disclosure rules. |
2. The Authority shall monitor new and existing financial activities and may adopt guidelines and recommendations with a view to promoting the safety and soundness of markets and convergence of regulatory practice.
3. The Authority may also issue warnings in the event that a financial activity poses a serious threat to the objectives laid down in Article 1(6).
4. The Authority shall establish, as an integral part of the Authority, a Committee on financial innovation, which brings together all relevant competent national supervisory authorities with a view to achieving a coordinated approach to the regulatory and supervisory treatment of new or innovative financial activities and providing advice for the Authority to present to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.
5. The Authority may temporarily prohibit or restrict certain financial activities that threaten the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union in the cases specified and under the conditions laid down in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) or, if so required, in the case of an emergency situation in accordance with and under the conditions laid down in Article 18.
The Authority shall review the decision referred to in the first subparagraph at appropriate intervals and at least every 3 months. If the decision is not renewed after a three-month period, it shall automatically expire.
A Member State may request the Authority to reconsider its decision. In that case, the Authority shall decide in accordance with the procedure set out in the second subparagraph of Article 44(1), whether it maintains its decision.
The Authority may also assess the need to prohibit or restrict certain types of financial activity and, where there is such a need, inform the Commission in order to facilitate the adoption of any such prohibition or restriction.
Article 10
Regulatory technical standards
1. Where the European Parliament and the Council delegate power to the Commission to adopt regulatory technical standards by means of delegated acts under Article 290 TFEU in order to ensure consistent harmonisation in the areas specifically set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), the Authority may develop draft regulatory technical standards. The Authority shall submit its draft standards to the Commission for endorsement.
Regulatory technical standards shall be technical, shall not imply strategic decisions or policy choices and their content shall be delimited by the legislative acts on which they are based.
Before submitting them to the Commission, the Authority shall conduct open public consultations on draft regulatory technical standards and analyse the potential related costs and benefits, unless such consultations and analyses are disproportionate in relation to the scope and impact of the draft regulatory technical standards concerned or in relation to the particular urgency of the matter. The Authority shall also request the opinion of the relevant stakeholder group referred to in Article 37.
Where the Authority submits a draft regulatory technical standard, the Commission shall immediately forward it to the European Parliament and the Council.
Within 3 months of receipt of a draft regulatory technical standard, the Commission shall decide whether to endorse it. The Commission may endorse the draft regulatory technical standards in part only, or with amendments, where the Union’s interests so require.
Where the Commission intends not to endorse a draft regulatory technical standard, or to endorse it in part or with amendments, it shall send the draft regulatory technical standard back to the Authority, explaining why it does not endorse it, or, as the case may be, explaining the reasons for its amendments. Within a period of 6 weeks, the Authority may amend the draft regulatory technical standard on the basis of the Commission’s proposed amendments and resubmit it in the form of a formal opinion to the Commission. The Authority shall send a copy of its formal opinion to the European Parliament and to the Council.
If, on the expiry of that six-week period, the Authority has not submitted an amended draft regulatory technical standard, or has submitted a draft regulatory technical standard that is not amended in a way consistent with the Commission’s proposed amendments, the Commission may adopt the regulatory technical standard with the amendments it considers relevant or reject it.
The Commission may not change the content of a draft regulatory technical standard prepared by the Authority without prior coordination with the Authority, as set out in this Article.
2. Where the Authority has not submitted a draft regulatory technical standard within the time limit set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), the Commission may request such a draft within a new time limit.
3. Only where the Authority does not submit a draft regulatory technical standard to the Commission within the time limits in accordance with paragraph 2, may the Commission adopt a regulatory technical standard by means of a delegated act without a draft from the Authority.
The Commission shall conduct open public consultations on draft regulatory technical standards and analyse the potential related costs and benefits, unless such consultations and analyses are disproportionate in relation to the scope and impact of the draft regulatory technical standards concerned or in relation to the particular urgency of the matter. The Commission shall also request the opinion or advice of the relevant stakeholder group referred to in Article 37.
The Commission shall immediately forward the draft regulatory technical standard to the European Parliament and the Council.
The Commission shall send its draft regulatory technical standard to the Authority. Within a period of 6 weeks, the Authority may amend the draft regulatory technical standard and submit it in the form of a formal opinion to the Commission. The Authority shall send a copy of its formal opinion to the European Parliament and to the Council.
If, on the expiry of the six-week period referred to in the fourth subparagraph, the Authority has not submitted an amended draft regulatory technical standard, the Commission may adopt the regulatory technical standard.
If the Authority has submitted an amended draft regulatory technical standard within the six-week period, the Commission may amend the draft regulatory technical standard on the basis of the Authority’s proposed amendments or adopt the regulatory technical standard with the amendments it considers relevant. The Commission shall not change the content of the draft regulatory technical standard prepared by the Authority without prior coordination with the Authority, as set out in this Article.
4. The regulatory technical standards shall be adopted by means of regulations or decisions. They shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall enter into force on the date stated therein.
Article 11
Exercise of the delegation
1. The power to adopt regulatory technical standards referred to in Article 10 shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of four years from 16 December 2010. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegated power not later than 6 months before the end of the four-year period. The delegation of power shall be automatically extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council revokes it in accordance with Article 14.
2. As soon as it adopts a regulatory technical standard, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council.
3. The power to adopt regulatory technical standards is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in Articles 12 to 14.
Article 12
Revocation of the delegation
1. The delegation of power referred to in Article 10 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council.
2. The institution which has commenced an internal procedure for deciding whether to revoke a delegation of power shall endeavour to inform the other institution and the Commission within a reasonable time before the final decision is taken, indicating the delegated power which could be subject to revocation.
3. The decision of revocation shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect immediately or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of the regulatory technical standards already in force. It shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Article 13
Objections to regulatory technical standards
1. The European Parliament or the Council may object to a regulatory technical standard within a period of 3 months from the date of notification of the regulatory technical standard adopted by the Commission. At the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council that period shall be extended by 3 months.
Where the Commission adopts a regulatory technical standard which is the same as the draft regulatory technical standard submitted by the Authority, the period during which the European Parliament and the Council may object shall be 1 month from the date of notification. At the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council that period shall be extended by 1 month.
2. If, on the expiry of the period referred to in paragraph 1, neither the European Parliament nor the Council has objected to the regulatory technical standard, it shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall enter into force on the date stated therein. The regulatory technical standard may be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and enter into force before the expiry of that period if the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission of their intention not to raise objections.
3. If either the European Parliament or the Council objects to a regulatory technical standard within the period referred to in paragraph 1, it shall not enter into force. In accordance with Article 296 TFEU, the institution which objects shall state the reasons for objecting to the regulatory technical standard.
Article 14
Non-endorsement or amendment of draft regulatory technical standards
1. In the event that the Commission does not endorse a draft regulatory technical standard or amends it as provided for in Article 10, the Commission shall inform the Authority, the European Parliament and the Council, stating its reasons.
2. Where appropriate, the European Parliament or the Council may invite the responsible Commissioner, together with the Chairperson of the Authority, within 1 month of the notice referred to in paragraph 1, for an ad hoc meeting of the competent committee of the European Parliament or the Council to present and explain their differences.
Article 15
Implementing technical standards
1. The Authority may develop implementing technical standards, by means of implementing acts under Article 291 TFEU, in the areas specifically set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2). Implementing technical standards shall be technical, shall not imply strategic decisions or policy choices and their content shall be to determine the conditions of application of those acts. The Authority shall submit its draft implementing technical standards to the Commission for endorsement.
Before submitting draft implementing technical standards to the Commission, the Authority shall conduct open public consultations and shall analyse the potential related costs and benefits, unless such consultations and analyses are disproportionate in relation to the scope and impact of the draft implementing technical standards concerned or in relation to the particular urgency of the matter. The Authority shall also request the opinion of the relevant stakeholder group referred to in Article 37.
Where the Authority submits a draft implementing technical standard, the Commission shall immediately forward it to the European Parliament and the Council.
Within 3 months of receipt of a draft implementing technical standard, the Commission shall decide whether to endorse it. The Commission may extend that period by 1 month. The Commission may endorse the draft implementing technical standard in part only, or with amendments, where the Union’s interests so require.
Where the Commission intends not to endorse a draft implementing technical standard or intends to endorse it in part or with amendments, it shall send it back to the Authority explaining why it does not intend to endorse it, or, as the case may be, explaining the reasons for its amendments. Within a period of 6 weeks, the Authority may amend the draft implementing technical standard on the basis of the Commission’s proposed amendments and resubmit it in the form of a formal opinion to the Commission. The Authority shall send a copy of its formal opinion to the European Parliament and to the Council.
If, on the expiry of the six-week period referred to in the fifth subparagraph, the Authority has not submitted an amended draft implementing technical standard, or has submitted a draft implementing technical standard that is not amended in a way consistent with the Commission’s proposed amendments, the Commission may adopt the implementing technical standard with the amendments it considers relevant or reject it.
The Commission shall not change the content of a draft implementing technical standard prepared by the Authority without prior coordination with the Authority, as set out in this Article.
2. In cases where the Authority has not submitted a draft implementing technical standard within the time limit set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), the Commission may request such a draft within a new time limit.
3. Only where the Authority does not submit a draft implementing technical standard to the Commission within the time limits in accordance with paragraph 2, may the Commission adopt an implementing technical standard by means of an implementing act without a draft from the Authority.
The Commission shall conduct open public consultations on draft implementing technical standards and analyse the potential related costs and benefits, unless such consultations and analyses are disproportionate in relation to the scope and impact of the draft implementing technical standards concerned or in relation to the particular urgency of the matter. The Commission shall also request the opinion or advice of the relevant stakeholder group referred to in Article 37.
The Commission shall immediately forward the draft implementing technical standard to the European Parliament and the Council.
The Commission shall send the draft implementing technical standard to the Authority. Within a period of 6 weeks, the Authority may amend the draft implementing technical standard and submit it in the form of a formal opinion to the Commission. The Authority shall send a copy of its formal opinion to the European Parliament and to the Council.
If, on the expiry of the six-week period referred to in the fourth subparagraph, the Authority has not submitted an amended draft implementing technical standard, the Commission may adopt the implementing technical standard.
If the Authority has submitted an amended draft implementing technical standard within that six-week period, the Commission may amend the draft implementing technical standard on the basis of the Authority’s proposed amendments or adopt the implementing technical standard with the amendments it considers relevant.
The Commission shall not change the content of the draft implementing technical standards prepared by the Authority without prior coordination with the Authority, as set out in this Article.
4. The implementing technical standards shall be adopted by means of regulations or decisions. They shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall enter into force on the date stated therein.
Article 16
Guidelines and recommendations
1. The Authority shall, with a view to establishing consistent, efficient and effective supervisory practices within the ESFS, and to ensuring the common, uniform and consistent application of Union law, issue guidelines and recommendations addressed to competent authorities or financial institutions.
2. The Authority shall, where appropriate, conduct open public consultations regarding the guidelines and recommendations and analyse the related potential costs and benefits. Such consultations and analyses shall be proportionate in relation to the scope, nature and impact of the guidelines or recommendations. The Authority shall, where appropriate, also request opinions or advice from the relevant stakeholder group referred to in Article 37.
3. The competent authorities and financial institutions shall make every effort to comply with those guidelines and recommendations.
Within 2 months of the issuance of a guideline or recommendation, each competent authority shall confirm whether it complies or intends to comply with that guideline or recommendation. In the event that a competent authority does not comply or does not intend to comply, it shall inform the Authority, stating its reasons.
The Authority shall publish the fact that a competent authority does not comply or does not intend to comply with that guideline or recommendation. The Authority may also decide, on a case-by-case basis, to publish the reasons provided by the competent authority for not complying with that guideline or recommendation. The competent authority shall receive advanced notice of such publication.
If required by that guideline or recommendation, financial institutions shall report, in a clear and detailed way, whether they comply with that guideline or recommendation.
4. In the report referred to in Article 43(5) the Authority shall inform the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of the guidelines and recommendations that have been issued, stating which competent authority has not complied with them, and outlining how the Authority intends to ensure that the competent authority concerned follow its recommendations and guidelines in the future.
Article 17
Breach of Union law
1. Where a competent authority has not applied the acts referred to in Article 1(2) or has applied them in a way which appears to be a breach of Union law, including the regulatory technical standards and implementing technical standards established in accordance with Articles 10 to 15, in particular by failing to ensure that a financial institution satisfies the requirements laid down in those acts, the Authority shall act in accordance with the powers set out in paragraphs 2, 3 and 6 of this Article.
2. Upon a request from one or more competent authorities, the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission or the relevant stakeholder group, or on its own initiative and after having informed the competent authority concerned, the Authority may investigate the alleged breach or non-application of Union law.
Without prejudice to the powers laid down in Article 35, the competent authority shall, without delay, provide the Authority with all information which the Authority considers necessary for its investigation.
3. The Authority may, not later than 2 months from initiating its investigation, address a recommendation to the competent authority concerned setting out the action necessary to comply with Union law.
The competent authority shall, within ten working days of receipt of the recommendation, inform the Authority of the steps it has taken or intends to take to ensure compliance with Union law.
4. Where the competent authority has not complied with Union law within 1 month from receipt of the Authority’s recommendation, the Commission may, after having been informed by the Authority, or on its own initiative, issue a formal opinion requiring the competent authority to take the action necessary to comply with Union law. The Commission’s formal opinion shall take into account the Authority’s recommendation.
The Commission shall issue such a formal opinion no later than 3 months after the adoption of the recommendation. The Commission may extend this period by 1 month.
The Authority and the competent authorities shall provide the Commission with all necessary information.
5. The competent authority shall, within ten working days of receipt of the formal opinion referred to in paragraph 4, inform the Commission and the Authority of the steps it has taken or intends to take to comply with that formal opinion.
6. Without prejudice to the powers of the Commission under Article 258 TFEU, where a competent authority does not comply with the formal opinion referred to in paragraph 4 within the period of time specified therein, and where it is necessary to remedy in a timely manner such non-compliance in order to maintain or restore neutral conditions of competition in the market or ensure the orderly functioning and integrity of the financial system, the Authority may, where the relevant requirements of the acts referred to in Article 1(2) are directly applicable to financial institutions, adopt an individual decision addressed to a financial institution requiring the necessary action to comply with its obligations under Union law including the cessation of any practice.
The decision of the Authority shall be in conformity with the formal opinion issued by the Commission pursuant to paragraph 4.
7. Decisions adopted under paragraph 6 shall prevail over any previous decision adopted by the competent authorities on the same matter.
When taking action in relation to issues which are subject to a formal opinion pursuant to paragraph 4 or a decision pursuant to paragraph 6, competent authorities shall comply with the formal opinion or the decision, as the case may be.
8. In the report referred to in Article 43(5), the Authority shall set out which competent authorities and financial institutions have not complied with the formal opinions or decisions referred to in paragraphs 4 and 6 of this Article.
Article 18
Action in emergency situations
1. In the case of adverse developments which may seriously jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union, the Authority shall actively facilitate and, where deemed necessary, coordinate any actions undertaken by the relevant national competent supervisory authorities.
In order to be able to perform that facilitating and coordinating role, the Authority shall be fully informed of any relevant developments, and shall be invited to participate as an observer in any relevant gathering by the relevant national competent supervisory authorities.
2. The Council, in consultation with the Commission and the ESRB and, where appropriate, the ESAs, may adopt a decision addressed to the Authority, determining the existence of an emergency situation for the purposes of this Regulation, following a request by the Authority, the Commission or the ESRB. The Council shall review that decision at appropriate intervals and at least once a month. If the decision is not renewed at the end of a one-month period, it shall automatically expire. The Council may declare the discontinuation of the emergency situation at any time.
Where the ESRB or the Authority considers that an emergency situation may arise, it shall issue a confidential recommendation addressed to the Council and provide it with an assessment of the situation. The Council shall then assess the need for a meeting. In that process, due care of confidentiality shall be guaranteed.
If the Council determines the existence of an emergency situation, it shall duly inform the European Parliament and the Commission without delay.
3. Where the Council has adopted a decision pursuant to paragraph 2, and in exceptional circumstances where coordinated action by national authorities is necessary to respond to adverse developments which may seriously jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union, the Authority may adopt individual decisions requiring competent authorities to take the necessary action in accordance with the legislation referred to in Article 1(2) to address any such developments by ensuring that financial institutions and competent authorities satisfy the requirements laid down in that legislation.
4. Without prejudice to the powers of the Commission under Article 258 TFEU, where a competent authority does not comply with the decision of the Authority referred to in paragraph 3 within the period laid down in that decision, the Authority may, where the relevant requirements laid down in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) including in regulatory technical standards and implementing technical standards adopted in accordance with those acts are directly applicable to financial institutions, adopt an individual decision addressed to a financial institution requiring the necessary action to comply with its obligations under that legislation, including the cessation of any practice. This shall apply only in situations in which a competent authority does not apply the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), including regulatory technical standards and implementing technical standards adopted in accordance with those acts, or applies them in a way which appears to be a manifest breach of those acts, and where urgent remedying is necessary to restore the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union.
5. Decisions adopted under paragraph 4 shall prevail over any previous decision adopted by the competent authorities on the same matter.
Any action by the competent authorities in relation to issues which are subject to a decision pursuant to paragraph 3 or 4 shall be compatible with those decisions.
Article 19
Settlement of disagreements between competent authorities in cross-border situations
1. Without prejudice to the powers laid down in Article 17, where a competent authority disagrees about the procedure or content of an action or inaction of a competent authority of another Member State in cases specified in the acts referred to in Article 1(2), the Authority, at the request of one or more of the competent authorities concerned, may assist the authorities in reaching an agreement in accordance with the procedure set out in paragraphs 2 to 4 of this Article.
In cases specified in the legislation referred to in Article 1(2), and where on the basis of objective criteria, disagreement between competent authorities from different Member States can be determined, the Authority may, on its own initiative, assist the authorities in reaching an agreement in accordance with the procedure set out in paragraphs 2 to 4.
2. The Authority shall set a time limit for conciliation between the competent authorities taking into account any relevant time periods specified in the acts referred to in Article 1(2) and the complexity and urgency of the matter. At that stage the Authority shall act as a mediator.
3. If the competent authorities concerned fail to reach an agreement within the conciliation phase referred to in paragraph 2, the Authority may, in accordance with the procedure set out in the third and fourth subparagraph of Article 44(1) take a decision requiring them to take specific action or to refrain from action in order to settle the matter, with binding effects for the competent authorities concerned, in order to ensure compliance with Union law.
4. Without prejudice to the powers of the Commission under Article 258 TFEU, where a competent authority does not comply with the decision of the Authority, and thereby fails to ensure that a financial institution complies with requirements directly applicable to it by virtue of the acts referred to in Article 1(2), the Authority may adopt an individual decision addressed to a financial institution requiring the necessary action to comply with its obligations under Union law, including the cessation of any practice.
5. Decisions adopted under paragraph 4 shall prevail over any previous decision adopted by the competent authorities on the same matter. Any action by the competent authorities in relation to facts which are subject to a decision pursuant to paragraph 3 or 4 shall be compatible with those decisions.
6. In the report referred to in Article 50(2), the Chairperson of the Authority shall set out the nature and type of disagreements between competent authorities, the agreements reached and the decisions taken to settle such disagreements.
Article 20
Settlement of disagreements between competent authorities across sectors
The Joint Committee shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 19 and Article 56, settle cross-sectoral disagreements that may arise between competent authorities as defined in Article 4(2) of this Regulation, of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 and of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 respectively.
Article 21
Colleges of supervisors
1. The Authority shall contribute to promoting and monitoring the efficient, effective and consistent functioning of the colleges of supervisors referred to in Directive 2009/138/EC and foster the coherence of the application of Union law among the colleges of supervisors. With the objective of converging supervisory best practices, staff from the Authority shall be able to participate in the activities of the colleges of supervisors, including on-site examinations, carried out jointly by two or more competent authorities.
2. The Authority shall lead in ensuring a consistent and coherent functioning of colleges of supervisors for cross-border institutions across the Union, taking account of the systemic risk posed by financial institutions referred to in Article 23.
For the purpose of this paragraph and of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Authority shall be considered a ‘competent authority’ within the meaning of the relevant legislation.
The Authority may:
| (a) | collect and share all relevant information in cooperation with the competent authorities in order to facilitate the work of the college and establish and manage a central system to make such information accessible to the competent authorities in the college; |
| (b) | initiate and coordinate Union-wide stress tests in accordance with Article 32 to assess the resilience of financial institutions, in particular the systemic risk posed by financial institutions as referred to in Article 23, to adverse market developments, and evaluate the potential for systemic risk to increase in situations of stress, ensuring that a consistent methodology is applied at the national level to such tests and, where appropriate, address a recommendation to the competent authority to correct issues identified in the stress test; |
| (c) | promote effective and efficient supervisory activities, including evaluating the risks to which financial institutions are or might be exposed as determined under the supervisory review process or in stress situations; |
| (d) | oversee, in accordance with the tasks and powers specified in this Regulation, the tasks carried out by the competent authorities; and |
| (e) | request further deliberations of a college in any cases where it considers that the decision would result in an incorrect application of Union law or would not contribute to the objective of convergence of supervisory practices. It may also require the group supervisor to schedule a meeting of the college or add a point to the agenda of a meeting. |
3. The Authority may develop draft regulatory and implementing technical standards to ensure uniform conditions of application with respect to the provisions regarding the operational functioning of colleges of supervisors and issue guidelines and recommendations adopted under Article 16 to promote convergence in supervisory functioning and best practices adopted by the colleges of supervisors.
4. The Authority shall have a legally binding mediation role to resolve disputes between competent authorities in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 19. The Authority may take supervisory decisions directly applicable to the institution concerned in accordance with Article 19.
Article 22
General provisions
1. The Authority shall duly consider systemic risk as defined by Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010. It shall address any risk of disruption in financial services that:
| (a) | is caused by an impairment of all or parts of the financial system; and |
| (b) | has the potential to have serious negative consequences for internal market and the real economy. |
The Authority shall consider, where appropriate, the monitoring and assessment of systemic risk as developed by the ESRB and the Authority and respond to warnings and recommendations by the ESRB in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010.
2. The Authority shall, in collaboration with the ESRB, and in accordance with Article 23(1), develop a common approach to the identification and measurement of systemic importance, including quantitative and qualitative indicators as appropriate.
These indicators shall be a critical element in the determination of appropriate supervisory actions. The Authority shall monitor the degree of convergence in the determinations made, with a view to promoting a common approach.
3. Without prejudice to the acts referred to in Article 1(2), the Authority shall draw up, as necessary, additional guidelines and recommendations for financial institutions, to take account of the systemic risk posed by them.
The Authority shall ensure that the systemic risk posed by financial institutions is taken into account when developing draft regulatory and implementing technical standards in the areas laid down in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).
4. Upon a request from one or more competent authorities, the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission, or on its own initiative, the Authority may conduct an inquiry into a particular type of financial institution or type of product or type of conduct in order to assess potential threats to the stability of the financial system and make appropriate recommendations for action to the competent authorities concerned.
For those purposes, the Authority may use the powers conferred on it under this Regulation, including Article 35.
5. The Joint Committee shall ensure overall and cross-sectoral coordination of the activities carried out in accordance with this Article.
Article 23
Identification and measurement of systemic risk
1. The Authority shall, in consultation with the ESRB, develop criteria for the identification and measurement of systemic risk and an adequate stress testing regime which includes an evaluation of the potential for systemic risk that may be posed by financial institutions to increase in situations of stress.
The Authority shall develop an adequate stress testing regime to help identify those financial institutions that may pose a systemic risk. These institutions shall be subject to strengthened supervision, and where necessary, to the recovery and resolution procedures referred to in Article 25.
2. The Authority shall take fully into account the relevant international approaches when developing the criteria for the identification and measurement of systemic risk that may be posed by insurance, re-insurance and occupational pensions institutions, including those established by the Financial Stability Board, the International Monetary Fund, the International Association of Insurance Supervisors and the Bank for International Settlements.
Article 24
Permanent capacity to respond to systemic risks
1. The Authority shall ensure it has specialised and ongoing capacity to respond effectively to the materialisation of systemic risks as referred to in Articles 22 and 23, in particular with respect to institutions that pose a systemic risk.
2. The Authority shall fulfil the tasks conferred upon it in this Regulation and in the legislation referred to in Article 1(2), and shall contribute to ensuring a coherent and coordinated crisis management and resolution regime in the Union.
Article 25
Recovery and resolution procedures
1. The Authority shall contribute to and participate actively in the development and coordination of effective and consistent recovery and resolution plans, procedures in emergency situations and preventive measures to minimise the systemic impact of any failure.
2. The Authority may identify best practices aimed at facilitating the resolution of failing institutions and, in particular, cross-border groups, in ways which avoid contagion, ensuring that appropriate tools, including sufficient resources, are available and allow the institution or the group to be resolved in an orderly, cost-efficient and timely manner.
3. The Authority may develop regulatory and implementing technical standards as specified in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 10 to 15.
Article 26
Development of a European network of national insurance guarantee schemes
The Authority may contribute to the assessment of the need for a European network of national insurance guarantee schemes which is adequately funded and sufficiently harmonised.
Article 27
Crisis prevention, management and resolution
The Authority may be requested by the Commission to contribute to the assessment referred to in Article 242 of Directive 2009/138/EC, in particular as regards the cooperation of supervisory authorities within, and functionality of, colleges of supervisors; the supervisory practices concerning setting the capital add-ons; the assessment of the benefit of enhancing group supervision and capital management within a group of insurance or reinsurance undertakings, including possible measures to enhance a sound cross-border management of insurance groups, in particular in respect of risks and asset management; and may report on any new developments and progress concerning:
| (a) | a harmonised framework for early intervention; |
| (b) | practices in centralised group risk management and functioning of group internal models including stress testing; |
| (c) | intra-group transactions and risk concentrations; |
| (d) | the behaviour of diversification and concentration effects over time; |
| (e) | a harmonised framework for asset transferability, insolvency and winding-up procedures which eliminates the relevant national company or corporate law barriers to asset transferability; |
| (f) | an equivalent level of protection of policy holders and beneficiaries of the undertakings of the same group, particularly in crisis situations; |
| (g) | a harmonised and adequately funded Union-wide solution for insurance guarantee schemes. |
Having regard to point (f), the Authority may also report on any new developments and progress concerning a set of coordinated national crisis management arrangements and including the necessity or otherwise of a system of coherent and credible funding mechanisms, with appropriate financing instruments.
The review of this Regulation provided for in Article 81 shall, in particular, examine the possible enhancement of the role of the Authority in a framework of crisis prevention, management and resolution.
Article 28
Delegation of tasks and responsibilities
1. Competent authorities may, with the consent of the delegate, delegate tasks and responsibilities to the Authority or other competent authorities subject to the conditions set out in this Article. Member States may set out specific arrangements regarding the delegation of responsibilities that have to be complied with before their competent authorities enter into such delegation agreements, and may limit the scope of delegation to what is necessary for the effective supervision of cross-border financial institutions or groups.
2. The Authority shall stimulate and facilitate the delegation of tasks and responsibilities between competent authorities by identifying those tasks and responsibilities that can be delegated or jointly exercised and by promoting best practices.
3. The delegation of responsibilities shall result in the reallocation of competences laid down in the acts referred to in Article 1(2). The law of the delegate authority shall govern the procedure, enforcement and administrative and judicial review relating to the delegated responsibilities.
4. The competent authorities shall inform the Authority of delegation agreements into which they intend to enter. They shall put the agreements into effect at the earliest 1 month after informing the Authority.
The Authority may give an opinion on the intended agreement within 1 month of being informed.
The Authority shall publish, by appropriate means, any delegation agreement as concluded by the competent authorities, in order to ensure that all parties concerned are informed appropriately.
Article 29
Common supervisory culture
1. The Authority shall play an active role in building a common Union supervisory culture and consistent supervisory practices, as well as in ensuring uniform procedures and consistent approaches throughout the Union. The Authority shall carry out, at a minimum, the following activities:
| (a) | providing opinions to competent authorities; |
| (b) | promoting an effective bilateral and multilateral exchange of information between competent authorities, with full respect for the applicable confidentiality and data protection provisions provided for in the relevant Union legislation; |
| (c) | contributing to developing high quality and uniform supervisory standards, including reporting standards, and international accounting standards in accordance with Article 1(3); |
| (d) | reviewing the application of the relevant regulatory and implementing technical standards adopted by the Commission, and of the guidelines and recommendations issued by the Authority and proposing amendments where appropriate; and |
| (e) | establishing sectoral and cross-sectoral training programmes, facilitating personnel exchanges and encouraging competent authorities to intensify the use of secondment schemes and other tools. |
2. The Authority may, as appropriate, develop new practical instruments and convergence tools to promote common supervisory approaches and practices.
Article 30
Peer reviews of competent authorities
1. The Authority shall periodically organise and conduct peer reviews of some or all of the activities of competent authorities, to further strengthen consistency in supervisory outcomes. To that end, the Authority shall develop methods to allow for objective assessment and comparison between the authorities reviewed. When conducting peer reviews, existing information and evaluations already made with regard to the competent authority concerned shall be taken into account.
2. The peer review shall include an assessment of, but shall not be limited to:
| (a) | the adequacy of resources and governance arrangements of the competent authority, with particular regard to the effective application of the regulatory technical standards and implementing technical standards referred to in Articles 10 to 15 and of the acts referred to in Article 1(2) and the capacity to respond to market developments; |
| (b) | the degree of convergence reached in the application of Union law and in supervisory practice, including regulatory technical standards and implementing technical standards, guidelines and recommendations adopted under Articles 10 to 16, and the extent to which the supervisory practice achieves the objectives set out in Union law; |
| (c) | best practices developed by some competent authorities which might be of benefit for other competent authorities to adopt; |
| (d) | the effectiveness and the degree of convergence reached with regard to the enforcement of the provisions adopted in the implementation of Union law, including the administrative measures and sanctions imposed against persons responsible where those provisions have not been complied with. |
3. On the basis of a peer review, the Authority may issue guidelines and recommendations pursuant to Article 16. In accordance with Article 16(3), the competent authorities shall endeavour to follow those guidelines and recommendations. The Authority shall take into account the outcome of the peer review when developing draft regulatory technical or implementing technical standards in accordance with Articles 10 to 15.
4. The Authority shall make the best practices that can be identified from those peer reviews publicly available. In addition, all other results of peer reviews may be disclosed publicly, subject to the agreement of the competent authority that is the subject of the peer review.
Article 31
Coordination function
The Authority shall fulfil a general coordination role between competent authorities, in particular in situations where adverse developments could potentially jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the financial system in the Union.
The Authority shall promote a coordinated Union response, inter alia, by:
| (a) | facilitating the exchange of information between the competent authorities; |
| (b) | determining the scope and, where possible and appropriate, verifying the reliability of information that should be made available to all the competent authorities concerned; |
| (c) | without prejudice to Article 19, carrying out non-binding mediation upon a request from the competent authorities or on its own initiative; |
| (d) | notifying the ESRB of any potential emergency situations without delay; |
| (e) | taking all appropriate measures in case of developments which may jeopardise the functioning of the financial markets with a view to facilitating the coordination of actions undertaken by relevant competent authorities; |
| (f) | centralising information received from competent authorities in accordance with Articles 21 and 35 as the result of the regulatory reporting obligations for institutions active in more than one Member State. The Authority shall share that information with the other competent authorities concerned. |
Article 32
Assessment of market developments
1. The Authority shall monitor and assess market developments in the area of its competence and, where necessary, inform the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority), the ESRB and the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission about the relevant micro-prudential trends, potential risks and vulnerabilities. The Authority shall include in its assessments an economic analysis of the markets in which financial institutions operate and an assessment of the impact of potential market developments on such institutions.
2. The Authority shall, in cooperation with the ESRB, initiate and coordinate Union-wide assessments of the resilience of financial institutions to adverse market developments. To that end, it shall develop the following, for application by the competent authorities:
| (a) | common methodologies for assessing the effect of economic scenarios on an institution’s financial position; |
| (b) | common approaches to communication on the outcomes of these assessments of the resilience of financial institutions; |
| (c) | common methodologies for assessing the effect of particular products or distribution processes on an institution’s financial position and on policyholders, pension scheme members, beneficiaries and customer information. |
3. Without prejudice to the tasks of the ESRB set out in Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010, the Authority shall, at least once a year, and more frequently as necessary, provide assessments to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the ESRB of trends, potential risks and vulnerabilities in its area of competence.
The Authority shall include a classification of the main risks and vulnerabilities in these assessments and, where necessary, recommend preventative or remedial actions.
4. The Authority shall ensure an adequate coverage of cross-sectoral developments, risks and vulnerabilities by closely cooperating with the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) through the Joint Committee.
Article 33
International relations
1. Without prejudice to the respective competences of the Member States and the Union institutions, the Authority may develop contacts and enter into administrative arrangements with supervisory authorities, international organisations and the administrations of third countries. Those arrangements shall not create legal obligations in respect of the Union and its Member States nor shall they prevent Member States and their competent authorities from concluding bilateral or multilateral arrangements with those third countries.
2. The Authority shall assist in preparing equivalence decisions pertaining to supervisory regimes in third countries in accordance with the acts referred to in Article 1(2).
3. In the report referred to in Article 43(5), the Authority shall set out the administrative arrangements agreed upon with international organisations or administrations in third countries and the assistance provided in preparing equivalence decisions.
Article 34
Other tasks
1. The Authority may, upon a request from the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission, or on its own initiative, provide opinions to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on all issues related to its area of competence.
2. With regard to prudential assessments of mergers and acquisitions falling within the scope of Directive 92/49/EEC and Directives 2002/83/EC and 2005/68/EC, as amended by Directive 2007/44/EC, and which, according to those Directives, require consultation between competent authorities from two or more Member States, the Authority may, on application of one of the competent authorities concerned, issue and publish an opinion on a prudential assessment, except in relation to the criteria in Article 15b(1)(e) of Directive 92/49/EEC, Article 15b(1)(e) of Directive 2002/83/EC and Article 19a(1)(e) of Directive 2005/68/EC. The opinion shall be issued promptly and in any event before the end of the assessment period in accordance with Directive 92/49/EEC and Directives 2002/83/EC and 2005/68/EC, as amended by Directive 2007/44/EC. Article 35 shall apply to the areas in respect of which the Authority may issue an opinion.
Article 35
Collection of information
1. At the request of the Authority, the competent authorities of the Member States shall provide the Authority with all the necessary information to carry out the duties assigned to it by this Regulation, provided that they have legal access to the relevant information and that the request for information is necessary in relation to the nature of the duty in question.
2. The Authority may also request information to be provided at recurring intervals and in specified formats. Such requests shall, where possible, be made using common reporting formats.
3. Upon a duly justified request from a competent authority of a Member State, the Authority may provide any information that is necessary to enable the competent authority to carry out its duties, in accordance with the professional secrecy obligations laid down in sectoral legislation and in Article 70.
4. Before requesting information in accordance with this Article and in order to avoid the duplication of reporting obligations, the Authority shall take account of any relevant existing statistics produced and disseminated by the European Statistical System and the European System of Central Banks.
5. Where information is not available or is not made available by the competent authorities in a timely fashion, the Authority may address a duly justified and reasoned request to other supervisory authorities, to the ministry responsible for finance where it has at its disposal prudential information, to the national central bank or to the statistical office of the Member State concerned.
6. Where information is not available or is not made available under paragraph 1 or 5 in a timely fashion, the Authority may address a duly justified and reasoned request directly to the relevant financial institutions. The reasoned request shall explain why the information concerning the respective individual financial institutions is necessary.
The Authority shall inform the relevant competent authorities of requests in accordance with this paragraph and with paragraph 5.
At the request of the Authority, the competent authorities shall assist the Authority in collecting the information.
7. The Authority may use confidential information received under this Article only for the purposes of carrying out the duties assigned to it by this Regulation.
Article 36
Relationship with the ESRB
1. The Authority shall cooperate closely and on a regular basis with the ESRB.
2. The Authority shall provide the ESRB with regular and timely information necessary for the achievement of its tasks. Any data necessary for the achievement of its tasks that are not in summary or aggregate form shall be provided, without delay, to the ESRB upon a reasoned request, as specified in Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010. The Authority, in cooperation with the ESRB, shall have in place adequate internal procedures for the transmission of confidential information, in particular information regarding individual financial institutions.
3. The Authority shall, in accordance with paragraphs 4 and 5, ensure a proper follow-up to ESRB warnings and recommendations referred to in Article 16 of Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010.
4. On receipt of a warning or recommendation from the ESRB addressed to the Authority, the Authority shall convene a meeting of the Board of Supervisors without delay and assess the implications of such a warning or recommendation for the fulfilment of its tasks.
It shall decide, by the relevant decision-making procedure, on any actions to be taken in accordance with the powers conferred upon it by this Regulation for addressing the issues identified in the warnings and recommendations.
If the Authority does not act on a recommendation, it shall explain to the ESRB and the Council its reasons for not doing so.
5. On receipt of a warning or recommendation from the ESRB addressed to a competent national supervisory authority, the Authority shall, where relevant, use the powers conferred upon it by this Regulation to ensure a timely follow-up.
Where the addressee intends not to follow the recommendation of the ESRB, it shall inform and discuss with the Board of Supervisors its reasons for not acting.
The competent authority shall take due account of the views of the Board of Supervisors when informing the Council and the ESRB in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010.
6. In discharging the tasks set out in this Regulation, the Authority shall take the utmost account of the warnings and recommendations of the ESRB.
Article 37
Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group and Occupational Pensions Stakeholder Group
1. To help facilitate consultation with stakeholders in areas relevant to the tasks of the Authority, an Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group and an Occupational Pensions Stakeholder Group shall be established (hereinafter collectively referred to as the ‘Stakeholder Groups’). The Stakeholder Groups shall be consulted on actions taken in accordance with Articles 10 to 15 concerning regulatory technical standards and implementing technical standards, and, to the extent that these do not concern individual financial institutions, Article 16 concerning guidelines and recommendations. If actions must be taken urgently and consultation becomes impossible, the Stakeholder Groups shall be informed as soon as possible.
The Stakeholder Groups shall meet at least four times a year. They may, together, discuss areas of mutual interest and shall inform each other of the other issues being discussed.
Members of one stakeholder group may be also members of the other stakeholder group.
2. The Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group shall be composed of 30 members, representing in balanced proportions insurance and reinsurance undertakings and insurance intermediaries operating in the Union, and their employees’ representatives, as well as consumers, users of insurance and reinsurance services, representatives of SMEs and representatives of relevant professional associations. At least five of its members shall be independent top-ranking academics. Ten of its members shall represent insurance undertakings, reinsurance undertakings or insurance intermediaries, three of whom shall represent cooperative and mutual insurers or reinsurers.
3. The Occupational Pensions Stakeholder Group shall be composed of 30 members, representing in balanced proportions institutions for occupational retirement provision operating in the Union, representatives of employees, representatives of beneficiaries, representatives of SMEs and representatives of relevant professional associations. At least five of its members shall be independent top-ranking academics. Ten of its members shall represent institutions for occupational retirement provision.
4. The members of the Stakeholder Groups shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors, following proposals from the relevant stakeholders. In making its decision, the Board of Supervisors shall, to the extent possible, ensure an appropriate geographical and gender balance and representation of stakeholders across the Union.
5. The Authority shall provide all necessary information subject to professional secrecy as set out in Article 70 and ensure adequate secretarial support for the Stakeholder Groups. Adequate compensation shall be provided to members of the Stakeholder Groups representing non-profit organisations, excluding industry representatives. The Stakeholder Groups may establish working groups on technical issues. Members of the Stakeholder Groups shall serve for a period of two-and-a-half years, following which a new selection procedure shall take place.
The members of the Stakeholder Groups may serve two successive terms.
6. The Stakeholder Groups may submit opinions and advice to the Authority on any issue related to the tasks of the Authority with particular focus on the tasks set out in Articles 10 to 16, and Articles 29, 30 and 32.
7. The Stakeholder Groups shall adopt their rules of procedure on the basis of the agreement of a two-thirds majority of their respective members.
8. The Authority shall make public the opinions and advice of the Stakeholder Groups and the results of their consultations.
Article 38
Safeguards
1. The Authority shall ensure that no decision adopted under Articles 18 or 19 impinges in any way on the fiscal responsibilities of Member States.
2. Where a Member State considers that a decision taken under Article 19(3) impinges on its fiscal responsibilities, it may notify the Authority and the Commission within 2 weeks after notification of the Authority’s decision to the competent authority that the decision will not be implemented by the competent authority.
In its notification, the Member State shall clearly and specifically explain why and how the decision impinges on its fiscal responsibilities.
In the case of such notification, the decision of the Authority shall be suspended.
Within a period of 1 month from the notification by the Member State, the Authority shall inform the Member State as to whether it maintains its decision or whether it amends or revokes it. If the decision is maintained or amended, the Authority shall state that fiscal responsibilities are not affected.
Where the Authority maintains its decision, the Council shall take a decision, by a majority of the votes cast, at one of its meetings not later than 2 months after the Authority has informed the Member State as set out in the fourth subparagraph, as to whether the Authority’s decision is maintained.
Where the Council, after having considered the matter, does not take a decision to maintain the Authority’s decision in accordance with the fifth subparagraph, the Authority’s decision shall be terminated.
3. Where a Member State considers that a decision taken under Article 18(3) impinges on its fiscal responsibilities, it may notify the Authority, the Commission and the Council, within three working days after notification of the Authority’s decision to the competent authority, that the decision will not be implemented by the competent authority.
In its notification, the Member State shall clearly and specifically explain why and how the decision impinges on its fiscal responsibilities.
In the case of such notification, the decision of the Authority shall be suspended.
The Council shall, within ten working days, convene a meeting and take a decision, by a simple majority of its members, as to whether the Authority’s decision is revoked.
Where the Council, after having considered the matter, does not take a decision to revoke the Authority’s decision in accordance with the fourth subparagraph, the suspension of the Authority’s decision shall be terminated.
4. Where the Council has taken a decision in accordance with paragraph 3 not to revoke a decision of the Authority relating to Article 18(3), and the Member State concerned still considers that the decision of the Authority impinges upon its fiscal responsibilities, that Member State may notify the Commission and the Authority and request the Council to re-examine the matter. The Member State concerned shall clearly set out the reasons for its disagreement with the decision of the Council.
Within a period of 4 weeks after the notification referred to in the first subparagraph, the Council shall confirm its original decision or take a new decision in accordance with paragraph 3.
The period of 4 weeks may be extended by four additional weeks by the Council, if the particular circumstances of the case so require.
5. Any abuse of this Article, in particular in relation to a decision by the Authority which does not have a significant or material fiscal impact, shall be prohibited as incompatible with the internal market.
Article 39
Decision-making procedures
1. Before taking the decisions provided for in this Regulation, the Authority shall inform any named addressee of its intention to adopt the decision, setting a time limit within which the addressee may express its views on the matter, taking full account of the urgency, complexity and potential consequences of the matter. This applies mutatis mutandis to recommendations as referred to in Article 17(3).
2. The decisions of the Authority shall state the reasons on which they are based.
3. The addressees of decisions of the Authority shall be informed of the legal remedies available under this Regulation.
4. Where the Authority has taken a decision pursuant to Article 18(3) or (4), it shall review that decision at appropriate intervals.
5. The decisions which the Authority takes pursuant to Articles 17, 18 or 19 shall be made public and shall state the identity of the competent authority or financial institution concerned and the main content of the decision, unless such publication is in conflict with the legitimate interests of financial institutions in the protection of their business secrets or could seriously jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system of the Union.
CHAPTER III - ORGANISATION
SECTION 1
Board of Supervisors
Article 40
Composition
1. The Board of Supervisors shall be composed of:
| (a) | the Chairperson, who shall be non-voting; |
| (b) | the head of the national public authority competent for the supervision of financial institutions in each Member State, who shall meet in person at least twice a year; |
| (c) | one representative of the Commission, who shall be non-voting; |
| (d) | one representative of the ESRB, who shall be non-voting; |
| (e) | one representative of each of the other two European Supervisory Authorities, who shall be non-voting; |
2. The Board of Supervisors shall convene meetings with the Stakeholder Groups regularly, at least twice a year.
3. Each competent authority shall be responsible for nominating a high-level alternate from its authority, who may replace the member of the Board of Supervisors referred to in paragraph 1(b), where that person is prevented from attending.
4. In Member States where more than one authority is responsible for the supervision according to this Regulation, those authorities shall agree on a common representative. Nevertheless, when an item to be discussed by the Board of Supervisors does not fall within the competence of the national authority being represented by the member referred to in paragraph 1(b), that member may bring a representative from the relevant national authority, who shall be non-voting.
5. The Board of Supervisors may decide to admit observers.
The Executive Director may participate in meetings of the Board of Supervisors, without the right to vote.
Article 41
Internal committees and panels
1. The Board of Supervisors may establish internal committees or panels for specific tasks attributed to the Board of Supervisors, and may provide for the delegation of certain clearly defined tasks and decisions to internal committees or panels, to the Management Board or to the Chairperson.
2. For the purposes of Article 19, the Board of Supervisors shall convoke an independent panel to facilitate an impartial settlement of the disagreement, consisting of the Chairperson and two of its members, who are not representatives of the competent authorities which are party to the disagreement and who have neither any interest in the conflict nor direct links to the competent authorities concerned.
3. Subject to Article 19(2), the panel shall propose a decision for final adoption by the Board of Supervisors, in accordance with the procedure set out in the third subparagraph of Article 44(1).
4. The Board of Supervisors shall adopt rules of procedure for the panel referred to in paragraph 2.
Article 42
Independence
When carrying out the tasks conferred upon it by this Regulation, the Chairperson and the voting members of the Board of Supervisors shall act independently and objectively in the sole interest of the Union as a whole and shall neither seek nor take instructions from Union institutions or bodies, from any government of a Member State or from any other public or private body.
Neither Member States, the Union institutions or bodies, nor any other public or private body shall seek to influence the members of the Board of Supervisors in the performance of their tasks.
Article 43
Tasks
1. The Board of Supervisors shall give guidance to the work of the Authority and shall be in charge of taking the decisions referred to in Chapter II.
2. The Board of Supervisors shall adopt the opinions, recommendations, and decisions, and issue the advice referred to in Chapter II.
3. The Board of Supervisors shall appoint the Chairperson.
4. The Board of Supervisors shall adopt, before 30 September of each year, on the basis of a proposal by the Management Board, the work programme of the Authority for the coming year, and shall transmit it for information to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.
The work programme shall be adopted without prejudice to the annual budgetary procedure and shall be made public.
5. The Board of Supervisors shall, on the basis of a proposal by the Management Board, adopt the annual report on the activities of the Authority, including on the performance of the Chairperson’s duties, on the basis of the draft report referred to in Article 53(7) and shall transmit that report to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Auditors and the European Economic and Social Committee by 15 June each year. The report shall be made public.
6. The Board of Supervisors shall adopt the multi-annual work programme of the Authority, and shall transmit it for information to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.
The multi-annual work programme shall be adopted without prejudice to the annual budgetary procedure and shall be made public.
7. The Board of Supervisors shall adopt the budget in accordance with Article 63.
8. The Board of Supervisors shall exercise disciplinary authority over the Chairperson and the Executive Director and may remove them from office in accordance with Article 48(5) or Article 51(5) respectively.
Article 44
Decision making
1. Decisions of the Board of Supervisors shall be taken by a simple majority of its members. Each member shall have one vote.
With regard to the acts specified in Articles 10 to 16 and measures and decisions adopted under the third subparagraph of Article 9(5) and Chapter VI and by way of derogation from the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the Board of Supervisors shall take decisions on the basis of a qualified majority of its members, as defined in Article 16(4) of the Treaty on European Union and in Article 3 of the Protocol (No 36) on transitional provisions.
With regard to decisions in accordance with Article 19(3), for decisions taken by the group supervisor, the decision proposed by the panel shall be considered as adopted, if approved by a simple majority, unless it is rejected by members representing a blocking minority of the votes as defined in Article 16(4) of the Treaty on European Union and in Article 3 of the Protocol (No 36) on transitional provisions.
For all other decisions in accordance with Article 19(3), the decision proposed by the panel shall be adopted by a simple majority of the members of the Board of Supervisors. Each member shall have one vote.
2. Meetings of the Board of Supervisors shall be convened by the Chairperson at his own initiative or at the request of one third of its members, and shall be chaired by the Chairperson.
3. The Board of Supervisors shall adopt and make public its rules of procedure.
4. The rules of procedure shall set out in detail the arrangements governing voting, including, where appropriate, the rules governing quorums. The non-voting members and the observers, with the exception of the Chairperson and the Executive Director, shall not attend any discussions within the Board of Supervisors relating to individual financial institutions, unless otherwise provided for in Article 75(3) or in the acts referred to in Article 1(2).
SECTION 2
Management Board
Article 45
Composition
1. The Management Board shall be composed of the Chairperson and six other members of the Board of Supervisors, elected by and from the voting members of the Board of Supervisors.
Other than the Chairperson, each member of the Management Board shall have an alternate, who may replace him if he is prevented from attending.
The term of office of the members elected by the Board of Supervisors shall be two-and-a-half years. That term may be extended once. The composition of the Management Board shall be balanced and proportionate and shall reflect the Union as a whole. Mandates shall be overlapping and an appropriate rotating arrangement shall apply.
2. Decisions by the Management Board shall be adopted on the basis of a majority of the members present. Each member shall have one vote.
The Executive Director and a representative of the Commission shall participate in meetings of the Management Board without the right to vote.
The representative of the Commission shall have the right to vote on matters referred to in Article 63.
The Management Board shall adopt and make public its rules of procedure.
3. Meetings of the Management Board shall be convened by the Chairperson at his own initiative or at the request of at least a third of its members, and shall be chaired by the Chairperson.
The Management Board shall meet prior to every meeting of the Board of Supervisors and as often as the Management Board deems necessary. It shall meet at least five times a year.
4. The members of the Management Board may, subject to the rules of procedure, be assisted by advisers or experts. The non-voting members, with the exception of the Executive Director, shall not attend any discussions within the Management Board relating to individual financial institutions.
Article 46
Independence
The members of the Management Board shall act independently and objectively in the sole interest of the Union as a whole and shall neither seek nor take instructions from the Union institutions or bodies, from any government of a Member State or from any other public or private body.
Neither Member States, the Union institutions or bodies, nor any other public or private body shall seek to influence the members of the Management Board in the performance of their tasks.
Article 47
Tasks
1. The Management Board shall ensure that the Authority carries out its mission and performs the tasks assigned to it in accordance with this Regulation.
2. The Management Board shall propose, for adoption by the Board of Supervisors, an annual and multi-annual work programme.
3. The Management Board shall exercise its budgetary powers in accordance with Articles 63 and 64.
4. The Management Board shall adopt the Authority’s staff policy plan and, pursuant to Article 68(2), the necessary implementing measures of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities (hereinafter the Staff Regulations’).
5. The Management Board shall adopt the special provisions on right of access to the documents of the Authority, in accordance with Article 72.
6. The Management Board shall propose an annual report on the activities of the Authority, including on the Chairperson’s duties, on the basis of the draft report referred to in Article 53(7) to the Board of Supervisors for approval.
7. The Management Board shall adopt and make public its rules of procedure.
8. The Management Board shall appoint and remove the members of the Board of Appeal in accordance with Article 58(3) and (5).
SECTION 3
Chairperson
Article 48
Appointment and tasks
1. The Authority shall be represented by a Chairperson, who shall be a full-time independent professional.
The Chairperson shall be responsible for preparing the work of the Board of Supervisors and shall chair the meetings of the Board of Supervisors and the Management Board.
2. The Chairperson shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors on the basis of merit, skills, knowledge of financial institutions and markets, and of experience relevant to financial supervision and regulation, following an open selection procedure.
Before taking up his duties, and up to 1 month after the selection by the Board of Supervisors, the European Parliament may, after having heard the candidate selected by the Board of Supervisors, object to the designation of the selected person.
The Board of Supervisors shall also elect, from among its members, an alternate who shall carry out the functions of the Chairperson in his absence. That alternate shall not be elected from among the members of the Management Board.
3. The Chairperson’s term of office shall be 5 years and may be extended once.
4. In the course of the 9 months preceding the end of the five-year term of office of the Chairperson, the Board of Supervisors shall evaluate:
| (a) | the results achieved in the first term of office and the way they were achieved; |
| (b) | the Authority’s duties and requirements in the coming years. |
The Board of Supervisors, taking into account the evaluation, may extend the term of office of the Chairperson once subject to confirmation by the European Parliament.
5. The Chairperson may be removed from office only by the European Parliament following a decision of the Board of Supervisors.
The Chairperson shall not prevent the Board of Supervisors from discussing matters relating to the Chairperson, in particular the need for his removal, and shall not be involved in deliberations concerning such a matter.
Article 49
Independence
Without prejudice to the role of the Board of Supervisors in relation to the tasks of the Chairperson, the Chairperson shall neither seek nor take instructions from the Union institutions or bodies, from any government of a Member State or from any other public or private body.
Neither Member States, the Union institutions or bodies nor any other public or private body shall seek to influence the Chairperson in the performance of his tasks.
In accordance with the Staff Regulations referred to in Article 68, the Chairperson shall, after leaving service, continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits.
Article 50
Report
1. The European Parliament and the Council may invite the Chairperson or his alternate to make a statement, while fully respecting his independence. The Chairperson shall make a statement before the European Parliament and answer any questions put by its members whenever so requested.
2. The Chairperson shall report in writing on the main activities of the Authority to the European Parliament when requested and at least 15 days before making the statement referred to in paragraph 1.
3. In addition to the information referred to in Articles 11 to 18 and Articles 20 and 33, the report shall also include any relevant information requested by the European Parliament on an ad-hoc basis.
SECTION 4
Executive Director
Article 51
Appointment
1. The Authority shall be managed by an Executive Director, who shall be a full-time independent professional.
2. The Executive Director shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors, after confirmation by the European Parliament, on the basis of merit, skills, knowledge of financial institutions and markets, and experience relevant to financial supervision and regulation and managerial experience, following an open selection procedure.
3. The Executive Director’s term of office shall be 5 years and may be extended once.
4. In the course of the 9 months preceding the end of the Executive Director’s term of office, the Board of Supervisors shall evaluate in particular:
| (a) | the results achieved in the first term of office and the way they were achieved; |
| (b) | the Authority’s duties and requirements in the coming years. |
The Board of Supervisors, taking into account the evaluation referred to in the first subparagraph, may extend the term of office of the Executive Director once.
5. The Executive Director may be removed from office only upon a decision of the Board of Supervisors.
Article 52
Independence
Without prejudice to the respective roles of the Management Board and the Board of Supervisors in relation to the tasks of the Executive Director, the Executive Director shall neither seek nor take instructions from the Union institutions or bodies, from any government of a Member State, or from any other public or private body.
Neither Member States, the Union institutions or bodies, nor any other public or private body shall seek to influence the Executive Director in the performance of his tasks.
In accordance with the Staff Regulations referred to in Article 68, the Executive Director shall, after leaving service, continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits.
Article 53
Tasks
1. The Executive Director shall be in charge of the management of the Authority and shall prepare the work of the Management Board.
2. The Executive Director shall be responsible for implementing the annual work programme of the Authority under the guidance of the Board of Supervisors and under the control of the Management Board.
3. The Executive Director shall take the necessary measures, notably the adoption of internal administrative instructions and the publication of notices, to ensure the functioning of the Authority, in accordance with this Regulation.
4. The Executive Director shall prepare a multi-annual work programme, as referred to in Article 47(2).
5. Each year, by 30 June, the Executive Director shall prepare a work programme for the following year, as referred to in Article 47(2).
6. The Executive Director shall draw up a preliminary draft budget of the Authority pursuant to Article 63 and shall implement the budget of the Authority pursuant to Article 64.
7. Each year the Executive Director shall prepare a draft report with a section on the regulatory and supervisory activities of the Authority and a section on financial and administrative matters.
8. The Executive Director shall exercise in respect to the Authority’s staff the powers laid down in Article 68 and manage staff matters.
CHAPTER IV - JOINT BODIES OF THE EUROPEAN SUPERVISORY AUTHORITIES
SECTION 1
Joint Committee of European Supervisory Authorities
Article 54
Establishment
1. The Joint Committee of the European Supervisory Authorities is hereby established.
2. The Joint Committee shall serve as a forum in which the Authority shall cooperate regularly and closely and ensure cross-sectoral consistency with the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority), in particular regarding:
| — | financial conglomerates, |
| — | accounting and auditing, |
| — | micro-prudential analyses of cross-sectoral developments, risks and vulnerabilities for financial stability, |
| — | retail investment products, |
| — | measures combating money laundering; and, |
| — | information exchange with the ESRB and developing the relationship between the ESRB and the ESAs, |
3. The Joint Committee shall have a dedicated staff provided by the ESAs that shall act as a secretariat. The Authority shall contribute adequate resources to administrative, infrastructure and operational expenses.
4. In the event that a financial institution reaches across different sectors, the Joint Committee shall resolve disagreements in accordance with Article 56.
Article 55
Composition
1. The Joint Committee shall be composed of the Chairpersons of the ESAs, and, where applicable, the Chairperson of any Sub-Committee established under Article 57.
2. The Executive Director, a representative of the Commission and the ESRB shall be invited to the meetings of the Joint Committee, as well as of any Sub-Committees referred to in Article 57, as observers.
3. The Chairperson of the Joint Committee shall be appointed on an annual rotational basis from among the Chairpersons of the ESAs. The Chairperson of the Joint Committee shall be a Vice-Chair of the ESRB.
4. The Joint Committee shall adopt and publish its own rules of procedure. The rules may specify further participants in the meetings of the Joint Committee.
The Joint Committee shall meet at least once every 2 months.
Article 56
Joint positions and common acts
Within the scope of its tasks in Chapter II, and in particular with respect to the implementation of Directive 2002/87/EC, where relevant, the Authority shall reach joint positions with the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and with the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority), as appropriate.
Acts under Articles 10 to 15, 17, 18 or 19 of this Regulation in relation to the application of Directive 2002/87/EC and of any other Union acts referred to in Article 1(2) that also fall within the area of competence of the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) or the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) shall be adopted, in parallel, by the Authority, the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority), and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Market Authority), as appropriate.
Article 57
Sub-Committees
1. For the purposes of Article 56, a Sub-Committee on Financial Conglomerates to the Joint Committee shall be established.
2. The Sub-Committee shall be composed of the individuals referred to in Article 55(1), and one high-level representative from the current staff of the relevant competent authority from each Member State.
3. The Sub-Committee shall elect a Chairperson from among its members, who shall also be a member of the Joint Committee.
4. The Joint Committee may establish further Sub-Committees.
SECTION 2
Board of Appeal
Article 58
Composition and operation
1. The Board of Appeal shall be a joint body of the ESAs.
2. The Board of Appeal shall be composed of six members and six alternates, who shall be individuals of a high repute with a proven record of relevant knowledge and professional experience, including supervisory experience, to a sufficiently high level in the fields of banking, insurance, occupational pensions, securities markets or other financial services, excluding current staff of the competent authorities or other national or Union institutions involved in the activities of the Authority. The Board of Appeal shall have sufficient legal expertise to provide expert legal advice on the legality of the Authority’s exercise of its powers.
The Board of Appeal shall designate its President.
3. Two members of the Board of Appeal and two alternates shall be appointed by the Management Board of the Authority from a short-list proposed by the Commission, following a public call for expressions of interest published in the Official Journal of the European Union, and after consultation of the Board of Supervisors.
The other members shall be appointed in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 and Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
4. The term of office of the members of the Board of Appeal shall be 5 years. That term may be extended once.
5. A member of the Board of Appeal appointed by the Management Board of the Authority shall not be removed during his term of office unless he has been found guilty of serious misconduct and the Management Board takes a decision to that effect after consulting the Board of Supervisors.
6. The decisions of the Board of Appeal shall be adopted on the basis of a majority of at least four of its six members. Where the appealed decision falls within the scope of this Regulation, the deciding majority shall include at least one of the two members of the Board of Appeal appointed by the Authority.
7. The Board of Appeal shall be convened by its President when necessary.
8. The ESAs shall ensure adequate operational and secretarial support for the Board of Appeal through the Joint Committee.
Article 59
Independence and impartiality
1. The members of the Board of Appeal shall be independent in making their decisions. They shall not be bound by any instructions. They shall not perform any other duties in relation to the Authority, its Management Board or its Board of Supervisors.
2. Members of the Board of Appeal shall not take part in any appeal proceedings in which they have any personal interest if they have previously been involved as representatives of one of the parties to the proceedings, or if they have participated in the decision under appeal.
3. If, for one of the reasons referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 or for any other reason, a member of a Board of Appeal considers that another member should not take part in any appeal proceedings, he shall inform the Board of Appeal accordingly.
4. Any party to the appeal proceedings may object to the participation of a member of the Board of Appeal on any of the grounds referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, or if suspected of bias.
No objection may be based on the nationality of members nor shall it be admissible if, while being aware of a reason for objecting, the party to the appeal proceedings has nonetheless taken a procedural step other than objecting to the composition of the Board of Appeal.
5. The Board of Appeal shall decide on the action to be taken in the cases specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 without the participation of the member concerned.
For the purpose of taking that decision, the member concerned shall be replaced on the Board of Appeal by his alternate. Where the alternate is in a similar situation, the Chairperson shall designate a replacement from among the available alternates.
6. The members of the Board of Appeal shall undertake to act independently and in the public interest.
For that purpose, they shall make a declaration of commitments and a declaration of interests indicating either the absence of any interest which may be considered prejudicial to their independence or any direct or indirect interest which might be considered prejudicial to their independence.
Those declarations shall be made public, annually and in writing.
CHAPTER V - REMEDIES
Article 60
Appeals
1. Any natural or legal person, including competent authorities, may appeal against a decision of the Authority referred to in Articles 17, 18 and 19and any other decision taken by the Authority in accordance with the Union acts referred to in Article 1(2) which is addressed to that person, or against a decision which, although in the form of a decision addressed to another person, is of direct and individual concern to that person.
2. The appeal, together with a statement of grounds, shall be filed in writing at the Authority within 2 months of the date of notification of the decision to the person concerned, or, in the absence of a notification, of the day on which the Authority published its decision.
The Board of Appeal shall decide upon the appeal within 2 months after the appeal has been lodged.
3. An appeal lodged pursuant to paragraph 1 shall not have suspensive effect.
However, the Board of Appeal may, if it considers that circumstances so require, suspend the application of the contested decision.
4. If the appeal is admissible, the Board of Appeal shall examine whether it is well-founded. It shall invite the parties to the appeal proceedings to file observations on its own notifications or on communications from the other parties to the appeal proceedings, within specified time limits. Parties to the appeal proceedings shall be entitled to make oral representations.
5. The Board of Appeal may confirm the decision taken by the competent body of the Authority, or remit the case to the competent body of the Authority. That body shall be bound by the decision of the Board of Appeal and that body shall adopt an amended decision regarding the case concerned.
6. The Board of Appeal shall adopt and make public its rules of procedure.
7. The decisions taken by the Board of Appeal shall be reasoned and shall be made public by the Authority.
Article 61
Actions before the Court of Justice of the European Union
1. Proceedings may be brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union, in accordance with Article 263 TFEU, contesting a decision taken by the Board of Appeal or, in cases where there is no right of appeal before the Board of Appeal, by the Authority.
2. Member States and the Union institutions, as well as any natural or legal person, may institute proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union against decisions of the Authority, in accordance with Article 263 TFEU.
3. In the event that the Authority has an obligation to act and fails to take a decision, proceedings for failure to act may be brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union in accordance with Article 265 TFEU.
4. The Authority shall be required to take the necessary measures to comply with the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
CHAPTER VI - FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
Article 62
Budget of the Authority
1. The revenues of the Authority, a European body in accordance with Article 185 of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (50) (hereinafter the ‘Financial Regulation’), shall consist, in particular, of any combination of the following:
| (a) | obligatory contributions from the national public authorities competent for the supervision of financial institutions, which shall be made in accordance with a formula based on the weighting of votes set out in Article 3(3) of Protocol (No 36) on transitional provisions. For the purposes of this Article, Article 3(3) of Protocol (No 36) on transitional provisions shall continue to apply beyond the deadline of 31 October 2014 therein established; |
| (b) | a subsidy from the Union, entered in the General Budget of the European Union (Commission Section); |
| (c) | any fees paid to the Authority in the cases specified in the relevant instruments of Union law. |
2. The expenditure of the Authority shall include, at least, staff, remuneration, administrative, infrastructure, professional training and operational expenses.
3. Revenue and expenditure shall be in balance.
4. Estimates of all Authority revenue and expenditure shall be prepared for each financial year, corresponding to the calendar year, and shall be presented in the budget of the Authority.
Article 63
Establishment of the budget
1. By 15 February each year, the Executive Director shall draw up a draft statement of estimates of revenue and expenditure for the following financial year, and shall forward it to the Management Board and the Board of Supervisors, together with the establishment plan. Each year, the Board of Supervisors shall, on the basis of the draft statement drawn up by the Executive Director and approved by the Management Board, produce a statement of estimates of revenue and expenditure of the Authority for the following financial year. That statement of estimates, including a draft establishment plan, shall be transmitted by the Board of Supervisors to the Commission by 31 March. Prior to adoption of the statement of estimates, the draft prepared by the Executive Director shall be approved by the Management Board.
2. The statement of estimates shall be transmitted by the Commission to the European Parliament and to the Council (hereinafter referred to together as the ‘budgetary authority’), together with the draft budget of the European Union.
3. On the basis of the statement of estimates, the Commission shall enter in the draft budget of the European Union the estimates it deems necessary in respect of the establishment plan and the amount of the subsidy to be charged to the General Budget of the European Union in accordance with Articles 313 and 314 TFEU.
4. The budgetary authority shall adopt the establishment plan for the Authority. The budgetary authority shall authorise the appropriations for the subsidy to the Authority.
5. The budget of the Authority shall be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. It shall become final after the final adoption of the General Budget of the European Union. Where necessary, it shall be adjusted accordingly.
6. The Management Board shall, without delay, notify the budgetary authority of its intention to implement any project which may have significant financial implications for the funding of its budget, in particular any project relating to property, such as the rental or purchase of buildings. It shall inform the Commission thereof. If either branch of the budgetary authority intends to issue an opinion, it shall, within 2 weeks of receipt of the information on the project, notify the Authority of its intention to issue such an opinion. In the absence of a reply, the Authority may proceed with the planned operation.
7. For the first year of operation of the Authority, ending on 31 December 2011, the financing of the Authority by the Union is subject to an agreement by the budgetary authority as provided for in Point 47 of the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline and sound financial management.
Article 64
Implementation and control of the budget
1. The Executive Director shall act as authorising officer and shall implement the Authority’s budget.
2. By 1 March following the completion of each financial year, the Authority’s accounting officer shall forward to the Commission’s accounting officer and to the Court of Auditors the provisional accounts, accompanied by the report on budgetary and financial management during the financial year. The Authority’s accounting officer shall also send the report on budgetary and financial management to the members of the Board of Supervisors, the European Parliament and the Council by 31 March of the following year.
The Commission’s accounting officer shall then consolidate the provisional accounts of the institutions and decentralised bodies in accordance with Article 128 of the Financial Regulation.
3. After receiving the observations of the Court of Auditors on the provisional accounts of the Authority in accordance with Article 129 of the Financial Regulation, the Executive Director, acting on his own responsibility, shall draw up the final accounts of the Authority and transmit them, for opinion, to the Management Board.
4. The Management Board shall deliver an opinion on the final accounts of the Authority.
5. The Executive Director shall transmit those final accounts, accompanied by the opinion of the Management Board, by 1 July following the completion of the financial year, to the Members of the Board of Supervisors, the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors.
6. The final accounts shall be published.
7. The Executive Director shall send the Court of Auditors a reply to the latter’s observations by 30 September. He shall also send a copy of that reply to the Management Board and the Commission.
8. The Executive Director shall submit to the European Parliament, at the latter’s request and as provided for in Article 146(3) of the Financial Regulation, any information necessary for the smooth application of the discharge procedure for the financial year in question.
9. The European Parliament, following a recommendation from the Council acting by qualified majority, shall, before 15 May of the year N + 2, grant a discharge to the Authority for the implementation of the budget comprising revenue from the General Budget of the European Union and competent authorities for the financial year N.
Article 65
Financial rules
The financial rules applicable to the Authority shall be adopted by the Management Board after consulting the Commission. Those rules may not depart from Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2343/2002 of 19 November 2002 on the framework Financial Regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 185 of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (51) unless the specific operational needs for the functioning of the Authority so require and only with the prior agreement of the Commission.
Article 66
Anti-fraud measures
1. For the purposes of combating fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity, Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 shall apply to the Authority without any restriction.
2. The Authority shall accede to the Interinstitutional Agreement concerning internal investigations by OLAF and shall immediately adopt appropriate provisions for all staff of the Authority.
3. The funding decisions and the agreements and the implementing instruments resulting from them shall explicitly stipulate that the Court of Auditors and OLAF may, if need be, carry out on-the-spot checks on the beneficiaries of monies disbursed by the Authority as well as on the staff responsible for allocating these monies.
CHAPTER VII - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 67
Privileges and immunities
The Protocol (No 7) on the privileges and immunities of the European Union annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the TFEU shall apply to the Authority and its staff.
Article 68
Staff
1. The Staff Regulations, the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants and the rules adopted jointly by the Union institutions for the purpose of applying them shall apply to the staff of the Authority, including its Executive Director and its Chairperson.
2. The Management Board, in agreement with the Commission, shall adopt the necessary implementing measures, in accordance with the arrangements provided for in Article 110 of the Staff Regulations.
3. In respect of its staff, the Authority shall exercise the powers conferred on the appointing authority by the Staff Regulations and on the authority entitled to conclude contracts by the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants.
4. The Management Board shall adopt provisions to allow national experts from Member States to be seconded to the Authority.
Article 69
Liability of the Authority
1. In the case of non-contractual liability, the Authority shall, in accordance with the general principles common to the laws of the Member States, make good any damage caused by it or by its staff in the performance of their duties. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have jurisdiction in any dispute over the remedying of such damage.
2. The personal financial liability and disciplinary liability of Authority staff towards the Authority shall be governed by the relevant provisions applying to the staff of the Authority.
Article 70
Obligation of professional secrecy
1. Members of the Board of Supervisors and the Management Board, the Executive Director, and members of the staff of the Authority including officials seconded by Member States on a temporary basis and all other persons carrying out tasks for the Authority on a contractual basis shall be subject to the requirements of professional secrecy pursuant to Article 339 TFEU and the relevant provisions in Union legislation, even after their duties have ceased.
Article 16 of the Staff Regulations shall apply to them.
In accordance with the Staff Regulations, the staff shall, after leaving service, continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits.
Neither Member States, the Union institutions or bodies, nor any other public or private body shall seek to influence staff members of the Authority in the performance of their tasks.
2. Without prejudice to cases covered by criminal law, any confidential information received by persons referred to in paragraph 1 whilst performing their duties may not be divulged to any person or authority whatsoever, except in summary or aggregate form, such that individual financial institutions cannot be identified.
Moreover, the obligation under paragraph 1 and the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall not prevent the Authority and the national supervisory authorities from using the information for the enforcement of the acts referred to in Article 1(2), and in particular for legal procedures for the adoption of decisions.
3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not prevent the Authority from exchanging information with national supervisory authorities in accordance with this Regulation and other Union legislation applicable to financial institutions.
That information shall be subject to the conditions of professional secrecy referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2. The Authority shall lay down in its internal rules of procedure the practical arrangements for implementing the confidentiality rules referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2.
4. The Authority shall apply Commission Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC, Euratom of 29 November 2001 amending its internal Rules of Procedure (52).
Article 71
Data protection
This Regulation shall be without prejudice to the obligations of Member States relating to their processing of personal data under Directive 95/46/EC or the obligations of the Authority relating to its processing of personal data under Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 when fulfilling its responsibilities.
Article 72
Access to documents
1. Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 shall apply to documents held by the Authority.
2. The Management Board shall, by 31 May 2011, adopt practical measures for applying Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
3. Decisions taken by the Authority pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 may be the subject of a complaint to the Ombudsman or of proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union, following an appeal to the Board of Appeal, as appropriate, in accordance with the conditions laid down in Articles 228 and 263 TFEU respectively.
Article 73
Language arrangements
1. Council Regulation No 1 determining the languages to be used by the European Economic Community (53) shall apply to the Authority.
2. The Management Board shall decide on the internal language arrangements for the Authority.
3. The translation services required for the functioning of the Authority shall be provided by the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union.
Article 74
Headquarters Agreement
The necessary arrangements concerning the accommodation to be provided for the Authority in the Member State where its seat is located and the facilities to be made available by that Member State, as well as the specific rules applicable in that Member State to the Executive Director, the members of the Management Board, the staff of the Authority and members of their families shall be laid down in a Headquarters Agreement between the Authority and that Member State concluded after obtaining the approval of the Management Board.
That Member State shall provide the best possible conditions to ensure the proper functioning of the Authority, including multilingual, European-oriented schooling and appropriate transport connections.
Article 75
Participation of third countries
1. Participation in the work of the Authority shall be open to third countries which have concluded agreements with the Union whereby they have adopted and are applying Union law in the areas of competence of the Authority as referred to in Article 1(2).
2. The Authority may cooperate with the countries referred to in paragraph 1 applying legislation which has been recognised as equivalent in the areas of competence of the Authority referred to in Article 1(2), as provided for in international agreements concluded by the Union in accordance with Article 216 TFEU.
3. Under the relevant provisions of the agreements referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, arrangements shall be made specifying, in particular, the nature, scope and procedural aspects of the involvement of the countries referred to in paragraph 1 in the work of the Authority, including provisions relating to financial contributions and to staff. They may provide for representation, as an observer, on the Board of Supervisors, but shall ensure that those countries do not attend any discussions relating to individual financial institutions, except where there is a direct interest.
CHAPTER VIII - TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 76
Preparatory actions
1. Following the entry into force of this Regulation, and before the establishment of the Authority, CEIOPS shall act in close cooperation with the Commission to prepare for the replacement of CEIOPS by the Authority.
2. Once the Authority has been established, the Commission shall be responsible for the administrative establishment and initial administrative operation of the Authority until the Authority has appointed an Executive Director.
For that purpose, until such time as the Executive Director takes up his duties following his appointment by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with Article 51, the Commission may assign one official on an interim basis in order to fulfil the functions of the Executive Director. That period shall be limited to the time necessary for the appointment of an Executive Director of the Authority.
The interim Executive Director may authorise all payments covered by credits provided in the budget of the Authority, once approved by the Management Board and may conclude contracts, including staff contracts following the adoption of the Authority’s establishment plan.
3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 are without prejudice to the powers of the Board of Supervisors and the Management Board.
4. The Authority shall be considered the legal successor of CEIOPS. By the date of establishment of the Authority, all assets and liabilities and all pending operations of CEIOPS shall be automatically transferred to the Authority. CEIOPS shall establish a statement showing its closing asset and liability situation as of the date of that transfer. That statement shall be audited and approved by CEIOPS and by the Commission.
Article 77
Transitional staff provisions
1. By way of derogation from Article 68, all employment contracts and secondment agreements concluded by CEIOPS or its Secretariat and in force on 1 January 2011 shall be honoured until their expiry date. They may not be extended.
2. All members of staff under contracts referred to in paragraph 1 shall be offered the possibility of concluding temporary agent contracts under Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants at the various grades as set out in the Authority’s establishment plan.
An internal selection limited to staff who have contracts with CEIOPS or its Secretariat shall be carried out after the entry into force of this Regulation by the authority authorised to conclude contracts in order to check the ability, efficiency and integrity of those to be engaged. The internal selection procedure shall take full account of the skills and experience demonstrated by the individuals’ performance prior to the engagement.
3. Depending on the type and level of functions to be performed, successful applicants shall be offered temporary agents’ contracts of a duration corresponding at least to the time remaining under the prior contract.
4. The relevant national law relating to labour contracts and other relevant instruments shall continue to apply to staff members with prior contracts who choose not to apply for temporary agent’s contracts or who are not offered temporary agents contracts in accordance with paragraph 2.
Article 78
National provisions
The Member States shall make such provision as is appropriate to ensure the effective application of this Regulation.
Article 79
Amendments
Decision No 716/2009/EC is hereby amended in so far as CEIOPS is removed from the list of beneficiaries set out in Section B of the Annex to that Decision.
Article 80
Repeal
Commission Decision 2009/79/EC, establishing CEIOPS, is hereby repealed with effect from 1 January 2011.
Article 81
Review
1. By 2 January 2014, and every 3 years thereafter, the Commission shall publish a general report on the experience acquired as a result of the operation of the Authority and the procedures laid down in this Regulation. That report shall evaluate, inter alia:
| (a) | the convergence in supervisory practices reached by competent authorities,
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| (b) | the functioning of the colleges of supervisors; |
| (c) | the progress achieved towards convergence in the fields of crisis prevention, management and resolution, including Union funding mechanisms; |
| (d) | the role of the Authority as regards systemic risk; |
| (e) | the application of the safeguard clause established in Article 38; |
| (f) | the application of the binding mediation role established in Article 19. |
2. The report referred to in paragraph 1 shall also examine whether:
| (a) | it is appropriate to continue separate supervision of banking, insurance, occupational pensions, securities and financial markets; |
| (b) | it is appropriate to undertake prudential supervision and supervise the conduct of business separately or by the same supervisor; |
| (c) | it is appropriate to simplify and reinforce the architecture of the ESFS in order to increase the coherence between the macro and the micro levels and between the ESAs; |
| (d) | the evolution of the ESFS is consistent with that of the global evolution; |
| (e) | there is sufficient diversity and excellence within the ESFS; |
| (f) | accountability and transparency in relation to publication requirements are adequate; |
| (g) | the resources of the Authority are adequate to carry out its responsibilities; |
| (h) | it is appropriate for the seat of the Authority to be maintained or to move the ESAs to a single seat to enhance better coordination between them. |
3. Concerning the issue of direct supervision of institutions or infrastructures of pan-European reach and taking account of market developments, the Commission shall draw up an annual report on the appropriateness of entrusting the Authority with further supervisory responsibilities in this area.
4. The report and any accompanying proposals, as appropriate, shall be forwarded to the European Parliament and to the Council.
Article 82
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 1 January 2011, with the exception of Article 76 and Article 77(1) and (2), which shall apply as from the date of its entry into force.
The Authority shall be established on 1 January 2011.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.