Forslag til Rådets afgørelse om indgåelse på Det Europæiske Fællesskabs vegne, hvad angår anliggender under dets kompetence, af resultaterne af Verdenshandelsorganisationens forhandlinger om finansielle tjenesteydelser (98/C 271/01) KOM(98) 440 endelig udg. - 98/0239 (CNS)

(Forelagt af Kommissionen den 14. juli 1998)

RÅDET FOR DEN EUROPÆISKE UNION HAR -

under henvisning til traktaten om oprettelse af Det Europæiske Fællesskab, særlig artikel 54, 57, 63, 66, 73 B til 73 F, 99, 100 A og 113 sammenholdt med artikel 228, stk. 2, andet punktum, og artikel 228, stk. 3, første afsnit,

under henvisning til forslag fra Kommissionen,

under henvisning til udtalelse fra Europa-Parlamentet,

under henvisning til udtalelse fra Det Økonomiske og Sociale Udvalg, og

ud fra følgende betragtninger:

Marrakesh-overenskomsten om oprettelse af Verdenshandelsorganisationen (WTO) og de dertil knyttede aftaler samt ministerbeslutninger og -erklæringer og forståelsen om indrømmelser vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser blev godkendt ved Rådets afgørelse af 22. december 1994;

de indrømmelser generelt vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser, som Kommissionen har forhandlet om på Det Europæiske Fællesskabs og dets medlemsstaters vegne, udgør et tilfredsstillende og afbalanceret forhandlingsresultat;

den 12. december 1997 godkendte Rådet med forbehold af endelig godkendelse efter afslutning af de interne procedurer De Europæiske Fællesskabers og deres medlemsstaters endelige liste over indrømmelser (GATS/SC/31/Suppl.4) og bemyndigede Kommissionen til at forelægge denne liste på Det Europæiske Fællesskabs og dets medlemsstaters vegne for WTO;

samtidig bemyndigede Rådet Kommissionen til på Det Europæiske Fællesskabs og dets medlemsstaters vegne at godkende resultat af forhandlingerne om femte protokol til GATS (S/L/45), beslutningen om vedtagelse af protokollen (S/L/44) og beslutningen om indrømmelser vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser (S/L/50);

Fællesskabets kompetence til at indgå internationale aftaler følger ikke blot af udtrykkelige traktatbestemmelser, men også af andre bestemmelser i traktaten og af retsakter vedtaget af Fællesskabets institutioner på basis af disse bestemmelser;

hvor der er vedtaget EF-bestemmelser til at virkeliggøre traktatens mål, må medlemsstaterne ikke uden for de fælles institutioner gøre indrømmelser, der kan påvirke disse regler eller ændre deres anvendelsesområde;

nogle af indrømmelserne vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser henhører under Fællesskabets kompetence i medfør af artikel 113 og 73 C i traktaten; andre indrømmelser vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser påvirker endvidere EF-regler, der er vedtaget på basis af artikel 54, 57, 63, 66, 99, 100 og 100 A, og er derfor alene et anliggende for Fællesskabet;

det er særlig berettiget at anvende traktatens artikel 100 som retsgrundlag for denne afgørelse, idet ovennævnte indrømmelser vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser påvirker Rådets direktiv 90/434/EØF af 23. juli 1990 om en fælles beskatningsordning ved fusion, spaltning, tilførsel af aktiver og ombytning af aktier vedrørende selskaber i forskellige medlemsstater og Rådets direktiv 90/435/EØF af 23. juli 1990 om en fælles beskatningsordning for moder- og datterselskaber fra forskellige medlemsstater, som bygger på traktatens artikel 100;

hvad angår indrømmelserne vedrørende kapitalbevægelser på listen over Fællesskabets og medlemsstaternes specifikke indrømmelser har Fællesskabet, således som EF-retten står i øjeblikket, generel kompetence; medlemsstaterne har dog fortsat kompetence til at handle inden for de grænser, der er fastlagt ved traktatens artikel 73 C;

overenskomsten om oprettelse af Verdenshandelsorganisationen og protokollerne til den almindelige overenskomst om handel med tjenesteydelser vil i kraft af deres art ikke kunne indbringes direkte for Fællesskabets eller medlemsstaternes domstole -

TRUFFET FØLGENDE AFGØRELSE:

Eneste artikel

1. Femte protokol til den almindelige overenskomst om handel med tjenesteydelser, som vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser (S/L/45), godkendes herved på Det Europæiske Fællesskabs vegne, hvad angår den del af den, som henhører under Det Europæiske Fællesskabs kompetence.

2. Teksten til femte protokol sammen med Fællesskabets og dets medlemsstaters liste over de specifikke indrømmelser (GATS/SC/31/Suppl. 4) og liste over undtagelser fra artikel II i den almindelige overenskomst om handel med tjenesteydelser (GATS/EL/31) vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser er knyttet til denne afgørelse tillige med følgende beslutninger:

- beslutning vedtaget af Udvalget for Handel med Finansielle Tjenesteydelser om vedtagelse af femte protokol til den almindelige overenskomst om handel med tjenesteydelser (S/L/44)

- beslutning vedtaget af Rådet for Handel med Tjenesteydelser af december 1997 om indrømmelser vedrørende finansielle tjenesteydelser (S/L/50).

3. Formanden for Rådet bemyndiges til at udpege den person, der er beføjet til at undertegne femte protokol til den almindelige overenskomst om handel med tjenesteydelser med bindende virkning for Det Europæiske Fællesskab, hvad angår den del af protokollen, som henhører under Fællesskabets kompetence.

FIFTH PROTOCOL TO THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES

Members of the World Trade Organisation (hereinafter referred to as the 'WTO`) whose Schedules of Specific Commitments and Lists of Exemptions from Article II of the General Agreement on Trade in Services concerning financial services are annexed to this Protocol (hereinafter referred to as 'Members concerned`),

HAVING carried out negotiations under the terms of the second Decision on financial services adopted by the Council for Trade in Services on 21 July 1995 (S/L/9),

AGREE as follows:

1. A Schedule of Specific Commitments and a List of Exemptions from Article II concerning financial services annexed to this Protocol relating to a Member shall, on the entry into force of this Protocol for that Member, replace the financial services sections of the Schedule of Specific Commitments and the List of Article II Exemptions of that Member.

2. This Protocol shall be open for acceptance, by signature or otherwise, by the Members concerned until 29 January 1999.

3. This Protocol shall enter into force on the 30th day following the date of its acceptance by all Members concerned. If by 30 January 1999, it has not been accepted by all Members concerned, those Members which have accepted it before that date may, within a period of 30 days thereafter, decide on its entry into force.

4. This Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General of the WTO. The Director-General of the WTO shall promptly furnish to each Member of the WTO a certified copy of this Protocol and notifications of acceptances thereof pursuant to paragraph 3.

5. This Protocol shall be registered in accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Done at Geneva this twenty-seventh day of February one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight, in a single copy in English, French and Spanish languages, each text being authentic, except as otherwise provided for in respect of the Schedules annexed hereto.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES Schedule of Specific Commitments Supplement 4 (Only the English, French and Spanish texts are authentic)

This text replaces the Financial Services section contained in document GATS/SC/31/Suppl. 1/Rev.1.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS

Modes of supply: (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence of natural persons

>TABELPOSITION>

ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES

Insurance

(a) The European Communities and their Member States note the close cooperation among the insurance regulatory and supervisory authorities of the Member States and encourage their efforts to promote improved supervisory standards.

(b) Member States will make their best endeavours to consider, within six months, complete applications for licences to conduct direct insurance underwriting business, through the establishment in a Member State of a subsidiary in accordance with the legislation of that Member State, by an undertaking governed by the laws of a non-member country. In cases where such applications are refused, the Member State authority will make its best endeavours to notify the undertaking in question and give the reasons for the refusal of the application.

(c) The supervisory authorities of the Member States will make their best endeavours to respond without undue delay to requests for information by applicants on the status of complete applications for licences to conduct direct insurance underwriting business, through the establishment in a Member State of a subsidiary in accordance with the legislation of that Member State by an undertaking governed by the laws of a non-member country.

(d) The European Communities and their Member States will make their best endeavours to examine any questions pertaining to the smooth operation of the internal market in insurance, and consider any issues that might have an impact on the internal market in insurance.

(e) The European Communities and their Member States note that, as regards motor insurance, under Community law as in force at 31 December 1997, and without prejudice to future legislation, premiums may be calculated taking several risk factors into account.

(f) The European Communities and their Member States note that under Community law, as in force at 31 December 1997, and without prejudice to future legislation, the prior approval by national supervisory authorities of policy conditions and scales of premiums that an insurance undertaking intends to use is generally not required.

(g) The European Communities and their Member States note that under Community law, as in force at 31 December 1997, and without prejudice to future legislation, the prior approval by national supervisory authorities of increases in premium rates is generally not required.

Other financial services

(a) In application of the relevant EC Directives, Member States will make their best endeavours to consider, within 12 months, complete applications for licences to conduct banking activities, through the establishment in a Member State of a subsidiary in accordance with the legislation of that Member State, by an undertaking governed by the laws of a non-member country. In cases where such applications are refused, the Member State will make its best endeavours to notify the undertaking in question and give the reasons for the refusal of the application.

(b) Member States will make their best endeavours to respond without undue delay to requests for information by applicants on the status of complete applications for licences to conduct banking activities, through the establishment in a Member State of a subsidiary in accordance with the legislation of that Member State, by an undertaking governed by the laws of a non-member country.

(c) In application of the relevant EC Directives, Member States will make their best endeavours to consider within six months complete applications for licences to conduct investment services in the securities field, as defined in the Investment Services Directive, through the establishment in a Member State of a subsidiary in accordance with the legislation of that Member State, by an undertaking governed by the laws of a non-member country. In cases where such applications are refused, the Member State will make its best endeavours to notify the undertaking in question and give the reasons for the refusal of the application.

(d) Member States will make their best endeavours to respond without undue delay to requests for information by applicants on the status of complete applications for licences to conduct investment services in the securities area, through the establishment in a Member State of a subsidiary in accordance with the legislation of that Member State, by an undertaking governed by the laws of a non-member country.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES

>TABELPOSITION>

DECISION ADOPTING THE FIFTH PROTOCOL TO THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES

Adopted by the Committee on Trade in Financial Services on 14 November 1997

THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE IN FINANCIAL SERVICES,

HAVING regard to the results of the negotiations conducted under the terms of the second Decision on Financial Services adopted by the Council for Trade in Services on 21 July 1995 (S/L/9),

DECIDES as follows:

1. To adopt the text of the fifth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

2. Commencing immediately and continuing until the date of entry into force of the fifth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services, Members concerned shall, to the fullest extent consistent with their existing legislation, not take measures which would be inconsistent with their undertakings resulting from these negotiations.

3. The Committee shall monitor the acceptance of the Protocol by Members concerned and shall, at the request of a Member, examine any concerns raised regarding the application of paragraph 2.

DECISION OF DECEMBER 1997 ON COMMITMENTS IN FINANCIAL SERVICES

Adopted by the Council for Trade in Services on 12 December 1997

THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES,

HAVING regard to the second Decision on Financial Services adopted by the Council for Trade in Services on 21 July 1995 (S/L/9),

NOTING the results of the negotiations carried out under the terms of that Decision,

HAVING regard to the Decision adopting the fifth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services adopted by the Committee on Trade in Financial Services on 14 November 1997 (S/L/44),

DECIDES as follows:

1. If the fifth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) does not enter into force in accordance with paragraph 3 therein:

(a) Notwithstanding Article XXI of the GATS, a Member may for a period of 60 days beginning on 1 March 1999, modify or withdraw all or part of the commitments on financial services inscribed in its Schedule.

(b) Notwithstanding Article II of the GATS and paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Annex to Article II 'Exemptions`, a Member may, for the same period referred to in paragraph 1(a), list in that Annex measures relating to financial services which are inconsistent with paragraph 1 of Article II of the GATS.

2. The Committee on Trade in Financial Services shall establish any procedures necessary for the implementation of paragraph 1.