EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL

Following the adoption of Council Directive 2003/48/EC, the Savings Directive, and in order to preserve the level playing field of economic operators, the EU signed Agreements with Switzerland, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco and San Marino providing for measures equivalent to those laid down in the Directive. Member States also signed agreements with the dependent territories of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

More recently, the importance of automatic exchange of information as a means to combat cross-border tax fraud and tax evasion by ensuring full tax transparency and cooperation between tax administrations worldwide has also been recognised at the international level. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) was mandated by the G20 to develop a single global standard for automatic exchange of financial account information. The Global Standard was released by the OECD Council in July 2014.

Following the adoption of a proposal to update the Savings Directive, the Commission adopted on 17 June 2011 a recommendation for a mandate to initiate negotiations with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, in order to upgrade the EU’s Agreements with those countries in line with international developments and to ensure that those countries continue to apply measures equivalent to those in the EU. On 14 May 2013, the Council reached an agreement on the Negotiating Mandate by concluding that negotiations should be aligned with the recent developments at global level where it was agreed to promote automatic exchange of information as an international standard.

In its communication of 6 December 2012 containing an Action Plan to strengthen the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion, the Commission highlighted the need to promote vigorously the automatic exchange of information as the future European and international standard for transparency and exchange of information in tax matters.

On the basis of a proposal presented by the Commission in June 2013, the Council on 9 December 2014 adopted Directive 2014/107/EU amending Directive 2011/16/EU and extending the mandatory automatic exchange of information between EU tax authorities to a full range of financial items in accordance with the Global Standard. The amendment ensures a coherent, consistent and comprehensive Union-wide approach to the automatic exchange of financial account information in the Internal Market.

As Directive 2014/107/EU is generally broader in scope than Directive 2003/48/EC and provides that in cases of overlap of scope, Directive 2014/107/EU prevails, on 18 March 2015 the Commission adopted a proposal to repeal Directive 2003/48/EC.

In order to minimise costs and administrative burdens both for tax administrations and for economic operators, it is crucial to ensure that the amendment of the existing Savings Agreement with Switzerland is in line with EU and international developments. This will increase tax transparency in Europe and will be the legal basis for implementing the OCDE Global Standard on automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and the EU.

Given the Swiss constitutional requirements for ratification, for Switzerland to be able to commence due diligence procedures in January 2017, with first exchanges under the Global Standard by September 2018, the Amending Protocol would need to be signed by May 2015. This would grant to all Member States the earliest possible cooperation to which Switzerland is committed at international level.

2. RESULTS OF CONSULTATIONS WITH THE INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

The Amending Protocol implements the Global Standard between EU Member States and Switzerland. The different stakeholders were already consulted on various occasions during the development of the OECD Global Standard.

EU Member States have also been consulted and informed during the negotiation between the Commission and Switzerland. The Commission reported to the European Council at its meeting in March 2014 and in December 2014 on the state of play of savings negotiations with Switzerland.

The Commission has also consulted the new Expert Group on automatic exchange of financial account information that provides advice to ensure that EU legislation on automatic exchange of information in direct taxation is effectively aligned and fully compatible with the OECD Global Standard on automatic exchange of financial account information. The Expert Group includes representatives from organisations representing the financial sector and organisations campaigning against tax evasion and tax avoidance.

3. LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL

The legal basis for this proposal is provided by Article 115 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in conjunction with Article 218(5) and (8) second subparagraph. The substantive legal basis is provided by Article 115 TFEU.

Article 1 of the Amending Protocol annexed to this Proposal for Council Decision changes the title of the existing Agreement in order to better reflect the contents of the Agreement, as amended by that Amending Protocol.

Article 2 replaces the existing articles and Annexes with a new set of provisions comprising 11 Articles, an Annex I that reflects the OECD Common Reporting Standard which is part of the Global Standard, an Annex II that reflects important parts of the OECD Commentaries to the Global Standard and an Annex III that lists the Competent Authorities of Switzerland and of each Member State.

The new Articles reflect the articles of the OECD Model Competent Authority agreement for the implementation of the Global Standard, with minor adaptations to reflect the particular legal context of an EU Agreement. In Article 1 there is no definition of Tax Identification Number (TIN), since there is already a definition of TIN in Section VIII(E)(5) of Annex I. Article 5 includes a full set of provisions on exchange of information upon request that follows the latest text of the OECD Model Tax Convention. Article 6 includes a more detailed set of provisions on data protection. Article 7 provides for an additional stage of consultation before any Member State or Switzerland undertake to suspend the Agreement. Article 8 features provisions on amendments to the Agreement, including a quick mechanism for provisional application by one of the Contracting Parties of amendments to the Global Standard, on the condition of consent by the other Party. Article 9 takes over the full set of provisions of Article 15 of the Agreement before its amendment by the Amending Protocol, because the negotiators of the Contracting Parties agreed not to make any change to these provisions which relate to business taxation and are not influenced by the Global Standard. Article 11 defines the territorial scope.

Annex I follows both the OECD Common Reporting Standard and Annex I to the Directive on Administrative Cooperation. Annex II implements key parts of the CRS Commentaries and corresponds to Annex II to the Directive on Administrative Cooperation. The minor deviations from Annex I or II to the Directive on Administrative Cooperation are justified by the re-alignment of the text to the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS) requested by the Swiss negotiators. Those include the following:

1. In Section I(D) the reference to the reporting of place of birth is realigned to the CRS.

2. Section I(A) on insurances that are effectively prevented by law from being sold to residents of a Reportable Jurisdiction is reintroduced. In order to avoid risks of abuse of that exemption, a corresponding Joint Declaration is included at the end of the Amending Protocol.

3. All the relevant options provided for in the OECD CRS Commentaries and in the Directive on Administrative Cooperation have been left at the discretion of each Member State and Switzerland and are not exercised directly in the Agreement. There is instead an obligation on Member States and Switzerland to notify each other and the Commission whether they have exercised any particular option. This is meant as a safeguard for the correct application of the alternative definition of “Related Entity” in connection with the option on new accounts of current customers.

4. The definitions of “International Organisation” and “Central Bank” in Section VIII(B)(3) and (4) have been realigned to the CRS in order to enable them to apply also in the context of the exemption from the look-through for Passive non-financial entities (NFEs) in Section VIII(D)(9)(c).

5. In Annex II the definition of “Residence of a Financial Institution” is aligned to the CRS Commentaries in order to cover cases where the residence of another Financial Institution should be determined, e.g. for the look-through for Passive NFEs.

Article 3 of the Amending Protocol includes provisions on the entry into force and application. It deals with issues on the transition from the existing Agreement to the amended Agreement, with regard to requests for information, credits available to beneficial owners for withholding tax, final payments of withholding tax by Switzerland to Member States and final exchange of information under the voluntary disclosure mechanism.

Article 4 includes a Protocol on additional safeguards related to the exchange of information on request, which Switzerland includes in its tax treaties. The text specifies that exchanges on the basis of a group request are not prevented. The Protocol on additional safeguards is in line with the Global Forum’s Terms of Reference for exchange of information on request.

Article 5 lists the languages in which the Amending Protocol is signed.

The revised Agreement is supplemented by four Joint Declarations of the contracting parties and one Unilateral Declaration by Switzerland.

The first Joint Declaration concerns the expected date of entry into force of the revised Agreement. The second and third Declarations make a link respectively to the Commentaries to the Global Standard and Article 26 of the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital. The fourth Declaration aims at preventing misinterpretation of Section III(A) of Annex I and establishes a mechanism of mutual notification of the cases where that exemption would have grounds to apply. The fifth Declaration is a unilateral one from the Swiss side.

4. BUDGETARY IMPLICATION

The proposal does not entail have any budgetary implications.

5. OPTIONAL ELEMENTS

2015/0076 (NLE)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Amending Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation providing for measures equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 115 in conjunction with Article 218(6)(b) and the second subparagraph of Article 218(8) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament[1],

Whereas:

(1) In accordance with Council Decision 2015/XXX/EU, the Amending Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation providing for measures equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments was signed on XX XXXX 2015, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

(2) The text of the Amending Protocol, which is the result of the negotiations, duly reflects the negotiating directive issued by the Council as it aligns the Agreement with the latest developments at international level concerning automatic exchange of information, namely the Global Standard for automatic exchange of financial account information in tax matters developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Union, its Member States and the Swiss Confederation have actively participated in the work of the OECD. The text of the Agreement, as amended by the Amending Protocol, is the legal basis for implementing the Global Standard in the relations between the Union and the Swiss Confederation.

(3) The Amending Protocol should be approved on behalf of the Union,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Amending Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation providing for measures equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

The text of the Amending Protocol is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The President of the Council shall designate the person empowered to give, on behalf of the Union, the notification provided for in Article 3(1) of the Amending Protocol, in order to express the consent of the Union to be bound by it.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

[1] OJ C , , p. .

Amending Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation providing for measures equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments

Amending Protocol

Amending the

“Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation providing for measures equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments”, hereinafter referred to as ‘Agreement’

THE EUROPEAN UNION,

and

THE SWISS CONFEDERATION, hereinafter referred to as ‘Switzerland’,

both hereinafter referred to as ‘Contracting Party’ or ‘Contracting Parties’,

With a view to implementing the OECD Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information, hereinafter referred to as ‘Global Standard’, within a framework of cooperation which takes account of the legitimate interests of both Contracting Parties,

Whereas, the Contracting Parties have a longstanding and close relationship with respect to mutual assistance in tax matters, in particular on the application of measures equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments, and desire to improve international tax compliance by further building on that relationship,

Whereas, the Contracting Parties desire to conclude an agreement to improve international tax compliance based on reciprocal automatic exchange of information, subject to certain confidentiality and other protections, including provisions limiting the use of the information exchanged,

Whereas Article 10 of the Agreement in the form prior to its amendment with this Amending Protocol, which currently provides for exchange of information upon request limited to conduct constituting tax fraud and the like should be aligned to the OECD standard on transparency and exchange of information in tax matters,

Whereas, the Contracting Parties will apply their respective data protection laws and practices to the processing of personal data exchanged in accordance with the Agreement as amended by this Amending Protocol and undertake to notify each other without undue delay in the event of any change in the substance of these laws and practices,

Whereas, the Member States and Switzerland have in place (i) appropriate safeguards to ensure that the information received pursuant to the Agreement as amended by this Amending Protocol remains confidential and is used solely for the purposes of and by the persons or authorities concerned with the assessment or collection or recovery of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to taxes, or the oversight of these, as well as for other authorised purposes, and (ii) the infrastructure for an effective exchange relationship (including established processes for ensuring timely, accurate, secure and confidential information exchanges, effective and reliable communications, and capabilities to promptly resolve questions and concerns about exchanges or requests for exchanges and to administer the provisions of Article 4 of the Agreement as amended by this Amending Protocol),

Whereas the categories of Reporting Financial Institutions and Reportable Accounts covered by the Agreement as amended by this Amending Protocol are designed to limit the opportunities for taxpayers to avoid being reported by shifting assets to Financial Institutions or investing in financial products that are outside the scope of the Agreement as amended by this Amending Protocol. However, certain Financial Institutions and accounts that present a low risk of being used to evade tax should be excluded from the scope. Thresholds should not be generally included as they could easily be circumvented by splitting accounts into different Financial Institutions. The financial information which is required to be reported and exchanged should concern not only all relevant income (interests, dividends and similar types of income) but also account balances and sale proceeds from Financial Assets, in order to address situations where a taxpayer seeks to hide capital that in itself represents income or assets with regard to which tax has been evaded. Therefore, the processing of information under the Agreement as amended by this Amending Protocol is necessary and proportionate for the purpose of enabling Member States’ and Switzerland’s tax administrations to correctly and unequivocally identify the taxpayers concerned, to administer and enforce their tax laws in cross-border situations, to assess the likelihood of tax evasion being perpetrated and to avoid unnecessary further investigations,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The title of the Agreement shall be replaced by the following title:

“Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the automatic exchange of financial account information to improve international tax compliance”

Article 2

Articles 1 through 22 as well as the Annexes shall be replaced by the following:

“Article 1

Definitions

1. For the purposes of this agreement (“Agreement”), the following terms have the following meanings:

a) The term “European Union” means the Union as established by the Treaty on the European Union and includes the territories in which the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty.

b) The term “Member State” means a Member State of the European Union.

c) The term “Switzerland” means the territory of the Swiss Confederation as defined by its law in accordance with international law.

d) For the purposes of this Agreement the Competent Authorities of Switzerland and Member States shall mean those authorities listed in Annex III. Annex III shall form an integral part of this Agreement. The list of Competent Authorities in Annex III may be amended by simple notification of the other Contracting Party by Switzerland for the authority referred to in (a) therein and by the European Union for the other authorities referred to in (b) to (ac) therein.

e) The term “Member State Financial Institution” means (i) any Financial Institution that is resident in a Member State, but excludes any branch of that Financial Institution that is located outside that Member State, and (ii) any branch of a Financial Institution that is not resident in that Member State, if that branch is located in that Member State.

f) The term “Swiss Financial Institution” means (i) any Financial Institution that is resident in Switzerland, but excludes any branch of that Financial Institution that is located outside Switzerland, and (ii) any branch of a Financial Institution that is not resident in Switzerland, if that branch is located in Switzerland.

g) The term “Reporting Financial Institution” means any Member State Financial Institution or Swiss Financial Institution, as the context requires, that is not a Non-Reporting Financial Institution.

h) The term “Reportable Account” means a Member State Reportable Account or a Swiss Reportable Account, as the context requires, provided it has been identified as such pursuant to due diligence procedures, consistent with Annexes I and II, in place in that Member State or Switzerland.

i) The term “Member State Reportable Account” means a Financial Account that is maintained by a Swiss Reporting Financial Institution and held by one or more Member State persons that are Reportable Persons or by a Passive NFE with one or more Controlling Persons that is a Member State Reportable Person.

j) The term “Swiss Reportable Account” means a Financial Account that is maintained by a Member State Reporting Financial Institution and held by one or more Swiss persons that are Reportable Persons or by a Passive NFE with one or more Controlling Persons that is a Swiss Reportable Person.

k) The term “Member State Person” means an individual or Entity that is identified by a Swiss Reporting Financial Institution as resident in a Member State pursuant to due diligence procedures consistent with Annexes I and II, or an estate of a decedent that was a resident of a Member State.

l) The term “Swiss Person” means an individual or Entity that is identified by a Member State Reporting Financial Institution as resident in Switzerland pursuant to due diligence procedures consistent with Annexes I and II, or an estate of a decedent that was a resident of Switzerland.

2. Any capitalised term not otherwise defined in this Agreement will have the meaning that it has at that time, (i) for Member States, under Council Directive 2011/16/EU on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation or, where applicable, the domestic law of the Member State applying the Agreement, and (ii) for Switzerland, under its domestic law, such meaning being consistent with the meaning set forth in Annexes I and II.

Any term not otherwise defined in this Agreement or in Annexes I or II will, unless the context otherwise requires or the Competent Authority of a Member State and Switzerland agree to a common meaning as provided for in Article 7 (as permitted by domestic law), have the meaning that it has at that time under the law of the jurisdiction concerned applying this Agreement, (i) for Member States, under Council Directive 2011/16/EU on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation or, where applicable, the domestic law of the Member State concerned, and (ii) for Switzerland, under its domestic law, any meaning under the applicable tax laws of the jurisdiction concerned (being a Member State or Switzerland) prevailing over a meaning given to the term under other laws of that jurisdiction.

Article 2

Automatic Exchange of Information with Respect to Reportable Accounts

1. Pursuant to the provisions of this Article and subject to the applicable reporting and due diligence rules consistent with Annexes I and II, which shall form an integral part of this Agreement, the Competent Authority of Switzerland will annually exchange with each of the Member States’ Competent Authorities and each of the Member States’ Competent Authorities will annually exchange with the Competent Authority of Switzerland on an automatic basis the information obtained pursuant to such rules and specified in paragraph 2.

2. The information to be exchanged is, in the case of a Member State with respect to each Swiss Reportable Account, and in the case of Switzerland with respect to each Member State Reportable Account:

a) the name, address, TIN and date and place of birth (in the case of an individual) of each Reportable Person that is an Account Holder of the account and, in the case of any Entity that is an Account Holder and that, after application of due diligence procedures consistent with Annexes I and II, is identified as having one or more Controlling Persons that is a Reportable Person, the name, address, and TIN of the Entity and the name, address, TIN and date and place of birth of each Reportable Person;

b) the account number (or functional equivalent in the absence of an account number);

c) the name and identifying number (if any) of the Reporting Financial Institution;

d) the account balance or value (including, in the case of a Cash Value Insurance Contract or Annuity Contract, the Cash Value or surrender value) as of the end of the relevant calendar year or other appropriate reporting period or, if the account was closed during such year or period, the closure of the account;

e) in the case of any Custodial Account:

(i) the total gross amount of interest, the total gross amount of dividends, and the total gross amount of other income generated with respect to the assets held in the account, in each case paid or credited to the account (or with respect to the account) during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period; and

(ii) the total gross proceeds from the sale or redemption of Financial Assets paid or credited to the account during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period with respect to which the Reporting Financial Institution acted as a custodian, broker, nominee, or otherwise as an agent for the Account Holder;

f) in the case of any Depository Account, the total gross amount of interest paid or credited to the account during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period; and

g) in the case of any account not described in subparagraph 2(e) or (f), the total gross amount paid or credited to the Account Holder with respect to the account during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period with respect to which the Reporting Financial Institution is the obligor or debtor, including the aggregate amount of any redemption payments made to the Account Holder during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period.

Article 3

Time and Manner of Automatic Exchange of Information

1. For the purposes of the exchange of information in Article 2, the amount and characterisation of payments made with respect to a Reportable Account may be determined in accordance with the principles of the tax laws of the jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland) exchanging the information.

2. For the purposes of the exchange of information in Article 2, the information exchanged will identify the currency in which each relevant amount is denominated.

3. With respect to paragraph 2 of Article 2, information is to be exchanged with respect to the first year starting at the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX] and all subsequent years and will be exchanged within nine months after the end of the calendar year to which the information relates.

4. The Competent Authorities will automatically exchange the information described in Article 2 in a common reporting standard schema in Extensible Markup Language.

5. The Competent Authorities will agree on one or more methods for data transmission including encryption standards.

Article 4

Collaboration on Compliance and Enforcement

The Competent Authority of a Member State will notify the Competent Authority of Switzerland and the Competent Authority of Switzerland will notify the Competent Authority of a Member State when the first-mentioned (notifying) Competent Authority has reason to believe that an error may have led to incorrect or incomplete information reporting under Article 2 or there is non-compliance by a Reporting Financial Institution with the applicable reporting requirements and due diligence procedures consistent with Annexes I and II. The notified Competent Authority will take all appropriate measures available under its domestic law to address the errors or non-compliance described in the notice.

Article 5

Exchange of Information upon Request

1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 2 and of any other agreement providing for information exchange upon request between Switzerland and any Member State, the Competent Authorities of Switzerland and any Member State shall exchange upon request such information as is foreseeably relevant for carrying out the provisions of this Agreement or to the administration or enforcement of the domestic laws concerning taxes of every kind and description imposed on behalf of Switzerland and the Member States, or of their political subdivisions or local authorities, insofar as the taxation under such domestic laws is not contrary to an applicable double tax agreement between Switzerland and the Member State concerned.

2. In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article and of Article 6 be construed so as to impose on Switzerland or on a Member State the obligation:

a) to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws and administrative practice of Switzerland or that Member State;

b) to supply information which is not obtainable under the laws or in the normal course of the administration of Switzerland or that Member State;

c) to supply information which would disclose any trade, business, industrial, commercial or professional secret or trade process, or information, the disclosure of which would be contrary to public policy (ordre public).

3. If information is requested by a Member State or by Switzerland acting as the requesting jurisdiction in accordance with this Article, Switzerland or the Member State acting as the requested jurisdiction shall use its information gathering measures to obtain the requested information, even though that requested jurisdiction may not need such information for its own tax purposes. The obligation contained in the preceding sentence is subject to the limitations of paragraph 2 but in no case shall such limitations be construed to permit the requested jurisdiction to decline to supply information solely because it has no domestic interest in such information.

4. In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 2 be construed to permit Switzerland or a Member State to decline to supply information solely because the information is held by a bank, other financial institution, nominee or person acting in an agency or a fiduciary capacity or because it relates to ownership interests in a person.

5. The Competent Authorities will agree on the standard forms to be used as well as on one or more methods for data transmission including encryption standards.

Article 6

Confidentiality and protection of personal data

1. Any information obtained by a jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland) under this Agreement shall be treated as confidential and protected in the same manner as information obtained under the domestic law of that jurisdiction and, to the extent necessary for the protection of personal data, in accordance with the applicable domestic law, and safeguards which may be specified by the jurisdiction supplying the information as required under its domestic law.

2. Such information shall in any case be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts and administrative or supervisory bodies) concerned with the assessment, collection or recovery of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to taxes of that jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland), or the oversight of the above. Only the persons or authorities mentioned above may use the information and then only for purposes spelled out in the preceding sentence. They may, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1, disclose it in public court proceedings or in judicial decisions relating to such taxes.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraphs, information received by a jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland) may be used for other purposes when such information may be used for such other purposes under the laws of the supplying jurisdiction (being, respectively, Switzerland or a Member State) and the Competent Authority of that jurisdiction authorises such use. Information provided by a jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland) to another jurisdiction (being, respectively, Switzerland or a Member State) may be transmitted by the latter to a third jurisdiction (being another Member State), subject to prior authorisation by the competent authority of the first-mentioned jurisdiction, from which the information originated. Information provided by one Member State to another Member State under its applicable law implementing Council Directive 2011/16/EU on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation may be transmitted to Switzerland subject to prior authorisation by the Competent Authority of the Member State from which the information originated.

4. Each Competent Authority of a Member State or Switzerland will notify the other Competent Authority, i.e. that of Switzerland or the specific Member State, immediately regarding any breach of confidentiality, failure of safeguards and any sanctions and remedial actions consequently imposed.

Article 7

Consultations and suspension of the Agreement

1. If any difficulties in the implementation or interpretation of this Agreement arise, any of the Competent Authorities of Switzerland or a Member State may request consultations between the Competent Authority of Switzerland and one or more of the Competent Authorities of Member States to develop appropriate measures to ensure that this Agreement is fulfilled. Those Competent Authorities shall immediately notify the European Commission and the Competent Authorities of the other Member States of the results of their consultations. In relation to issues of interpretation the European Commission may take part in consultations at the request of any of the Competent Authorities.

2. If the question relates to significant non-compliance with the provisions of this Agreement, and the procedure described in paragraph 1 does not provide for an adequate settlement, the Competent Authority of a Member State or Switzerland may suspend the exchange of information under this Agreement towards, respectively, Switzerland or a specific Member State, by giving notice in writing to the other Competent Authority concerned. Such suspension will have immediate effect. For the purposes of this paragraph, significant non-compliance includes, but is not limited to, non-compliance with the confidentiality and data safeguard provisions of this Agreement, a failure by the Competent Authority of a Member State or Switzerland to provide timely or adequate information as required under this Agreement or defining the status of Entities or accounts as Non-Reporting Financial Institutions and Excluded Accounts in a manner that frustrates the purposes of the Agreement.

Article 8

Amendments

1. The Contracting Parties shall consult each other at each occasion where an important change is adopted at OECD level to any of the elements of the Global Standard or – if deemed necessary by the Contracting Parties – in order to improve the technical functioning of this Agreement or to assess and reflect other international developments. The consultations shall be held within one month of a request by either Contracting Party or as soon as possible in urgent cases.

2. On the basis of such a contact, the Contracting Parties may consult each other in order to examine whether changes to this Agreement are necessary.

3. For the purposes of the consultations referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 each Contracting Party shall inform the other Contracting Party of possible developments which could affect the proper functioning of this Agreement. This shall also include any relevant agreement between one of the Contracting Parties and a third State.

4. Following the consultations, this Agreement may be amended by means of a protocol or a new agreement between the Contracting Parties.

5. Where a Contracting Party has implemented a change, adopted by the OECD, to the Global Standard, and wishes to make a corresponding change to Annexes I and/or II to this Agreement, it shall notify the other Contracting Party thereof. A consultation procedure between the Contracting Parties shall take place within one month from the notification. Notwithstanding paragraph 4, where the Contracting Parties reach a consensus within this consultation procedure on the change that should be made to Annexes I and/or II to this Agreement, and for the period of time necessary for implementation of the change by a formal amendment of the Agreement, the Contracting Party that requested the change may provisionally apply the revised version of Annexes I and/or II to this Agreement, as endorsed by the consultation procedure, as of the first day of January of the year following the conclusion of the aforementioned procedure.

A Contracting Party is considered as having implemented a change, adopted by the OECD, to the Global Standard:

a) for Member States: when the change has been incorporated in Council Directive 2011/16/EU on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation

b) for Switzerland: when the change has been incorporated in an agreement with a third State or into domestic legislation.

Article 9

Dividends, interest and royalty payments between companies

1. Without prejudice to the application of domestic or agreement-based provisions for the prevention of fraud or abuse in Switzerland and in Member States, dividends paid by subsidiary companies to parent companies shall not be subject to taxation in the source State where:

- the parent company has a direct minimum holding of 25 % of the capital of such a subsidiary for at least two years, and,

- one company is resident for tax purposes in a Member State and the other company is resident for tax purposes in Switzerland, and,

- under any double tax agreements with any third States neither company is resident for tax purposes in that third State, and,

- both companies are subject to corporation tax without being exempted and both adopt the form of a limited company [1].

2. Without prejudice to the application of domestic or agreement-based provisions for the prevention of fraud or abuse in Switzerland and in Member States, interest and royalty payments made between associated companies or their permanent establishments shall not be subject to taxation in the source State, where:

- such companies are affiliated by a direct minimum holding of 25 % for at least two years or are both held by a third company which has directly a minimum holding of 25 % both in the capital of the first company and in the capital of the second company for at least two years, and;

- where a company is resident for tax purposes or a permanent establishment is located in a Member State and the other company is resident for tax purposes or other permanent establishment situated in Switzerland, and;

- under any double tax agreements with any third States none of the companies is resident for tax purposes in that third State and none of the permanent establishments is situated in that third State, and;

- all companies are subject to corporation tax without being exempted in particular on interest and royalty payments and each adopts the form of a limited company [1].

3. Existing double taxation agreements between Switzerland and the Member States which provide for a more favourable taxation treatment of dividends, interest and royalty payments shall remain unaffected.

Article 10

Termination of Agreement

Either Contracting Party may terminate this Agreement by giving notice of termination in writing to the other Contracting Party. Such termination will become effective on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of 12 months after the date of the notice of termination. In the event of termination, all information previously received under this Agreement will remain confidential and subject to Article 6 of this Agreement.

Article 11

Territorial Scope

This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories of the Member States in which the Treaty establishing the European Union is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, to Switzerland.

ANNEX I

Common Standard on Reporting and Due Diligence for financial account information ("Common Reporting Standard")

Section I: General Reporting Requirements

A. Subject to paragraphs C through E, each Reporting Financial Institution must report to the Competent Authority of its jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland) the following information with respect to each Reportable Account of such Reporting Financial Institution:

1. the name, address, jurisdiction(s) of residence (being a Member State or Switzerland), TIN(s) and date and place of birth (in the case of an individual) of each Reportable Person that is an Account Holder of the account and, in the case of any Entity that is an Account Holder and that, after application of the due diligence procedures consistent with Sections V, VI and VII, is identified as having one or more Controlling Persons that is a Reportable Person, the name, address, jurisdiction(s) (being a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction) of residence and TIN(s) of the Entity and the name, address, jurisdiction(s) (being a Member State or Switzerland) of residence, TIN(s) and date and place of birth of each Reportable Person;

2. the account number (or functional equivalent in the absence of an account number);

3. the name and identifying number (if any) of the Reporting Financial Institution;

4. the account balance or value (including, in the case of a Cash Value Insurance Contract or Annuity Contract, the Cash Value or surrender value) as of the end of the relevant calendar year or other appropriate reporting period or, if the account was closed during such year or period, the closure of the account;

5. in the case of any Custodial Account:

a) the total gross amount of interest, the total gross amount of dividends, and the total gross amount of other income generated with respect to the assets held in the account, in each case paid or credited to the account (or with respect to the account) during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period; and

b) the total gross proceeds from the sale or redemption of Financial Assets paid or credited to the account during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period with respect to which the Reporting Financial Institution acted as a custodian, broker, nominee, or otherwise as an agent for the Account Holder;

6. in the case of any Depository Account, the total gross amount of interest paid or credited to the account during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period; and

7. in the case of any account not described in subparagraph A(5) or (6), the total gross amount paid or credited to the Account Holder with respect to the account during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period with respect to which the Reporting Financial Institution is the obligor or debtor, including the aggregate amount of any redemption payments made to the Account Holder during the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period.

B. The information reported must identify the currency in which each amount is denominated.

C. Notwithstanding subparagraph A(1), with respect to each Reportable Account that is a Preexisting Account, the TIN(s) or date of birth is not required to be reported if such TIN(s) or date of birth is not in the records of the Reporting Financial Institution and is not otherwise required to be collected by such Reporting Financial Institution under domestic law or any European Union legal instrument (if applicable). However, a Reporting Financial Institution is required to use reasonable efforts to obtain the TIN(s) and date of birth with respect to Preexisting Accounts by the end of the second calendar year following the year in which Preexisting Accounts were identified as Reportable Accounts.

D. Notwithstanding subparagraph A(1), the TIN is not required to be reported if a TIN is not issued by the relevant Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction of residence.

E. Notwithstanding subparagraph A(1), the place of birth is not required to be reported unless the Reporting Financial Institution is otherwise required to obtain and report it under domestic law and it is available in the electronically searchable data maintained by the Reporting Financial Institution.

Section II: General Due Diligence Requirements

A. An account is treated as a Reportable Account beginning as of the date it is identified as such pursuant to the due diligence procedures in Sections II through VII and, unless otherwise provided, information with respect to a Reportable Account must be reported annually in the calendar year following the year to which the information relates.

B. The balance or value of an account is determined as of the last day of the calendar year or other appropriate reporting period.

C. Where a balance or value threshold is to be determined as of the last day of a calendar year, the relevant balance or value must be determined as of the last day of the reporting period that ends with or within that calendar year.

D. Each Member State or Switzerland may allow Reporting Financial Institutions to use service providers to fulfil the reporting and due diligence obligations imposed on such Reporting Financial Institutions, as contemplated in domestic law, but these obligations shall remain the responsibility of the Reporting Financial Institutions.

E. Each Member State or Switzerland may allow Reporting Financial Institutions to apply the due diligence procedures for New Accounts to Preexisting Accounts, and the due diligence procedures for High Value Accounts to Lower Value Accounts. Where a Member State or Switzerland allow New Account due diligence procedures to be used for Preexisting Accounts, the rules otherwise applicable to Preexisting Accounts continue to apply.

Section III: Due Diligence for Preexisting Individual Accounts

The following procedures apply for purposes of identifying Reportable Accounts among Preexisting Individual Accounts.

A. Accounts Not Required to be Reviewed, Identified, or Reported. A Preexisting Individual Account that is a Cash Value Insurance Contract or an Annuity Contract is not required to be reviewed, identified or reported, provided the Reporting Financial Institution is effectively prevented by law from selling such Contract to residents of a Reportable Jurisdiction.

B. Lower Value Accounts. The following procedures apply with respect to Lower Value Accounts.

1. Residence Address. If the Reporting Financial Institution has in its records a current residence address for the individual Account Holder based on Documentary Evidence, the Reporting Financial Institution may treat the individual Account Holder as being a resident for tax purposes of the Member State or Switzerland or other jurisdiction in which the address is located for purposes of determining whether such individual Account Holder is a Reportable Person.

2. Electronic Record Search. If the Reporting Financial Institution does not rely on a current residence address for the individual Account Holder based on Documentary Evidence as set forth in subparagraph B(1), the Reporting Financial Institution must review electronically searchable data maintained by the Reporting Financial Institution for any of the following indicia and apply subparagraphs B(3) to (6):

a) identification of the Account Holder as a resident of a Reportable Jurisdiction;

b) current mailing or residence address (including a post office box) in a Reportable Jurisdiction;

c) one or more telephone numbers in a Reportable Jurisdiction and no telephone number in Switzerland or the Member State of the Reporting Financial Institution, as the context requires;

d) standing instructions (other than with respect to a Depository Account) to transfer funds to an account maintained in a Reportable Jurisdiction;

e) currently effective power of attorney or signatory authority granted to a person with an address in a Reportable Jurisdiction; or

f) a “hold mail” instruction or “in-care-of” address in a Reportable Jurisdiction if the Reporting Financial Institution does not have any other address on file for the Account Holder.

3. If none of the indicia listed in subparagraph B(2) are discovered in the electronic search, then no further action is required until there is a change in circumstances that results in one or more indicia being associated with the account, or the account becomes a High Value Account.

4. If any of the indicia listed in subparagraph B(2)(a) through (e) are discovered in the electronic search, or if there is a change in circumstances that results in one or more indicia being associated with the account, then the Reporting Financial Institution must treat the Account Holder as a resident for tax purposes of each Reportable Jurisdiction for which an indicium is identified, unless it elects to apply subparagraph B(6) and one of the exceptions in that subparagraph applies with respect to that account.

5. If a “hold mail” instruction or “in-care-of” address is discovered in the electronic search and no other address and none of the other indicia listed in subparagraph B(2)(a) through (e) are identified for the Account Holder, the Reporting Financial Institution must, in the order most appropriate to the circumstances, apply the paper record search described in subparagraph C(2), or seek to obtain from the Account Holder a self-certification or Documentary Evidence to establish the residence(s) for tax purposes of such Account Holder. If the paper search fails to establish an indicium and the attempt to obtain the self-certification or Documentary Evidence is not successful, the Reporting Financial Institution must report the account to the Competent Authority of its Member State or Switzerland, as the context requires, as an undocumented account.

6. Notwithstanding a finding of indicia under subparagraph B(2), a Reporting Financial Institution is not required to treat an Account Holder as a resident of a Reportable Jurisdiction if:

a) the Account Holder information contains a current mailing or residence address in the Reportable Jurisdiction, one or more telephone numbers in that Reportable Jurisdiction (and no telephone number in Switzerland or the Member State of the Reporting Financial Institution, as the context requires) or standing instructions (with respect to Financial Accounts other than Depository Accounts) to transfer funds to an account maintained in a Reportable Jurisdiction, and the Reporting Financial Institution obtains, or has previously reviewed and maintains a record of:

i. a self-certification from the Account Holder of the jurisdiction(s) of residence (being a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdictions) of such Account Holder that does not include such Reportable Jurisdiction; and

ii. Documentary Evidence establishing the Account Holder’s non-reportable status.

b) the Account Holder information contains a currently effective power of attorney or signatory authority granted to a person with an address in the Reportable Jurisdiction, and the Reporting Financial Institution obtains, or has previously reviewed and maintains a record of:

i. a self-certification from the Account Holder of the jurisdiction(s) of residence (being a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdictions) of such Account Holder that does not include such Reportable Jurisdiction; or

ii. Documentary Evidence establishing the Account Holder’s non-reportable status.

C. Enhanced Review Procedures for High Value Accounts. The following enhanced review procedures apply with respect to High Value Accounts.

1. Electronic Record Search. With respect to High Value Accounts, the Reporting Financial Institution must review electronically searchable data maintained by the Reporting Financial Institution for any of the indicia described in subparagraph B(2).

2. Paper Record Search. If the Reporting Financial Institution’s electronically searchable databases include fields for, and capture all of the information described in, subparagraph C(3), then a further paper record search is not required. If the electronic databases do not capture all of this information, then with respect to a High Value Account, the Reporting Financial Institution must also review the current customer master file and, to the extent not contained in the current customer master file, the following documents associated with the account and obtained by the Reporting Financial Institution within the last five years for any of the indicia described in subparagraph B(2):

a) the most recent Documentary Evidence collected with respect to the account;

b) the most recent account opening contract or documentation;

c) the most recent documentation obtained by the Reporting Financial Institution pursuant to AML/KYC Procedures or for other regulatory purposes;

d) any power of attorney or signature authority forms currently in effect; and

e) any standing instructions (other than with respect to a Depository Account) to transfer funds currently in effect.

3. Exception To The Extent Databases Contain Sufficient Information. A Reporting Financial Institution is not required to perform the paper record search described in subparagraph C(2) to the extent the Reporting Financial Institution’s electronically searchable information includes the following:

a) the Account Holder’s residence status;

b) the Account Holder’s residence address and mailing address currently on file with the Reporting Financial Institution;

c) the Account Holder’s telephone number(s) currently on file, if any, with the Reporting Financial Institution;

d) in the case of Financial Accounts other than Depository Accounts, whether there are standing instructions to transfer funds in the account to another account (including an account at another branch of the Reporting Financial Institution or another Financial Institution);

e) whether there is a current “in-care-of” address or “hold mail” instruction for the Account Holder; and

f) whether there is any power of attorney or signatory authority for the account.

4. Relationship Manager Inquiry for Actual Knowledge. In addition to the electronic and paper record searches described in subparagraphs C(1) and (2), the Reporting Financial Institution must treat as a Reportable Account any High Value Account assigned to a relationship manager (including any Financial Accounts aggregated with that High Value Account) if the relationship manager has actual knowledge that the Account Holder is a Reportable Person.

5. Effect of Finding Indicia.

a) If none of the indicia listed in subparagraph B(2) are discovered in the enhanced review of High Value Accounts described in paragraph C, and the account is not identified as held by a Reportable Person in subparagraph C(4), then further action is not required until there is a change in circumstances that results in one or more indicia being associated with the account.

b) If any of the indicia listed in subparagraphs B(2)(a) through (e) are discovered in the enhanced review of High Value Accounts described in paragraph C, or if there is a subsequent change in circumstances that results in one or more indicia being associated with the account, then the Reporting Financial Institution must treat the account as a Reportable Account with respect to each Reportable Jurisdiction for which an indicium is identified unless it elects to apply subparagraph B(6) and one of the exceptions in that subparagraph applies with respect to that account.

c) If a “hold mail” instruction or “in-care-of” address is discovered in the enhanced review of High Value Accounts described in paragraph C, and no other address and none of the other indicia listed in subparagraphs B(2)(a) through (e) are identified for the Account Holder, the Reporting Financial Institution must obtain from such Account Holder a self-certification or Documentary Evidence to establish the residence(s) for tax purposes of the Account Holder. If the Reporting Financial Institution cannot obtain such self-certification or Documentary Evidence, it must report the account to the Competent Authority of its Member State or Switzerland, as the context requires, as an undocumented account.

6. If a Preexisting Individual Account is not a High Value Account as of 31 December preceding the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX], but becomes a High Value Account as of the last day of a subsequent calendar year, the Reporting Financial Institution must complete the enhanced review procedures described in paragraph C with respect to such account within the calendar year following the year in which the account becomes a High Value Account. If based on this review such account is identified as a Reportable Account, the Reporting Financial Institution must report the required information about such account with respect to the year in which it is identified as a Reportable Account and subsequent years on an annual basis, unless the Account Holder ceases to be a Reportable Person.

7. Once a Reporting Financial Institution applies the enhanced review procedures described in paragraph C to a High Value Account, the Reporting Financial Institution is not required to re-apply such procedures, other than the relationship manager inquiry described in subparagraph C(4), to the same High Value Account in any subsequent year unless the account is undocumented where the Reporting Financial Institution should re-apply them annually until such account ceases to be undocumented.

8. If there is a change of circumstances with respect to a High Value Account that results in one or more indicia described in subparagraph B(2) being associated with the account, then the Reporting Financial Institution must treat the account as a Reportable Account with respect to each Reportable Jurisdiction for which an indicium is identified unless it elects to apply subparagraph B(6) and one of the exceptions in that subparagraph applies with respect to that account.

9. A Reporting Financial Institution must implement procedures to ensure that a relationship manager identifies any change in circumstances of an account. For example, if a relationship manager is notified that the Account Holder has a new mailing address in a Reportable Jurisdiction, the Reporting Financial Institution is required to treat the new address as a change in circumstances and, if it elects to apply subparagraph B(6), is required to obtain the appropriate documentation from the Account Holder.

D. Review of Preexisting High Value Individual Accounts must be completed within one year of the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX]. Review of Preexisting Lower Value Individual Accounts must be completed within two years of the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX].

E. Any Preexisting Individual Account that has been identified as a Reportable Account under this Section must be treated as a Reportable Account in all subsequent years, unless the Account Holder ceases to be a Reportable Person.

Section IV: Due Diligence for New Individual Accounts

The following procedures apply for purposes of identifying Reportable Accounts among New Individual Accounts.

A. With respect to New Individual Accounts, upon account opening, the Reporting Financial Institution must obtain a self-certification, which may be part of the account opening documentation, that allows the Reporting Financial Institution to determine the Account Holder’s residence(s) for tax purposes and confirm the reasonableness of such self-certification based on the information obtained by the Reporting Financial Institution in connection with the opening of the account, including any documentation collected pursuant to AML/KYC Procedures.

B. If the self-certification establishes that the Account Holder is resident for tax purposes in a Reportable Jurisdiction, the Reporting Financial Institution must treat the account as a Reportable Account and the self-certification must also include the Account Holder’s TIN with respect to such Reportable Jurisdiction (subject to paragraph D of Section I) and date of birth.

C. If there is a change of circumstances with respect to a New Individual Account that causes the Reporting Financial Institution to know, or have reason to know, that the original self-certification is incorrect or unreliable, the Reporting Financial Institution cannot rely on the original self-certification and must obtain a valid self-certification that establishes the residence(s) for tax purposes of the Account Holder.

Section V: Due Diligence for Preexisting Entity Accounts

The following procedures apply for purposes of identifying Reportable Accounts among Preexisting Entity Accounts.

A. Entity Accounts Not Required to Be Reviewed, Identified or Reported. Unless the Reporting Financial Institution elects otherwise, either with respect to all Preexisting Entity Accounts or, separately, with respect to any clearly identified group of such accounts, a Preexisting Entity Account with an aggregate account balance or value that does not exceed USD 250 000 or an equivalent amount denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland as of 31 December preceding the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX], is not required to be reviewed, identified, or reported as a Reportable Account until the aggregate account balance or value exceeds that amount as of the last day of any subsequent calendar year.

B. Entity Accounts Subject to Review. A Preexisting Entity Account that has an aggregate account balance or value that exceeds USD 250 000 or an equivalent amount denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland, as of 31 December preceding the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX], and a Preexisting Entity Account that does not exceed as of 31 December preceding the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX], that amount but the aggregate account balance or value of which exceeds such amount as of the last day of any subsequent calendar year, must be reviewed in accordance with the procedures set forth in paragraph D.

C. Entity Accounts With Respect to Which Reporting Is Required. With respect to Preexisting Entity Accounts described in paragraph B, only accounts that are held by one or more Entities that are Reportable Persons, or by Passive NFEs with one or more Controlling Persons who are Reportable Persons, shall be treated as Reportable Accounts.

D. Review Procedures for Identifying Entity Accounts With Respect to Which Reporting Is Required. For Preexisting Entity Accounts described in paragraph B, a Reporting Financial Institution must apply the following review procedures to determine whether the account is held by one or more Reportable Persons, or by Passive NFEs with one or more Controlling Persons who are Reportable Persons:

1. Determine Whether the Entity Is a Reportable Person.

a) Review information maintained for regulatory or customer relationship purposes (including information collected pursuant to AML/KYC Procedures) to determine whether the information indicates that the Account Holder is resident in a Reportable Jurisdiction. For this purpose, information indicating that the Account Holder is resident in a Reportable Jurisdiction includes a place of incorporation or organisation, or an address in a Reportable Jurisdiction.

b) If the information indicates that the Account Holder is resident in a Reportable Jurisdiction, the Reporting Financial Institution must treat the account as a Reportable Account unless it obtains a self-certification from the Account Holder, or reasonably determines based on information in its possession or that is publicly available, that the Account Holder is not a Reportable Person.

2. Determine Whether the Entity is a Passive NFE with One or More Controlling Persons Who Are Reportable Persons. With respect to an Account Holder of a Preexisting Entity Account (including an Entity that is a Reportable Person), the Reporting Financial Institution must determine whether the Account Holder is a Passive NFE with one or more Controlling Persons who are Reportable Persons. If any of the Controlling Persons of a Passive NFE is a Reportable Person, then the account must be treated as a Reportable Account. In making these determinations the Reporting Financial Institution must follow the guidance in subparagraphs D(2)(a) through (c) in the order most appropriate under the circumstances.

a) Determining whether the Account Holder is a Passive NFE. For purposes of determining whether the Account Holder is a Passive NFE, the Reporting Financial Institution must obtain a self-certification from the Account Holder to establish its status, unless it has information in its possession or that is publicly available, based on which it can reasonably determine that the Account Holder is an Active NFE or a Financial Institution other than an Investment Entity described in subparagraph A(6)(b) of Section VIII that is not a Participating Jurisdiction Financial Institution.

b) Determining the Controlling Persons of an Account Holder. For the purposes of determining the Controlling Persons of an Account Holder, a Reporting Financial Institution may rely on information collected and maintained pursuant to AML/KYC Procedures.

c) Determining whether a Controlling Person of a Passive NFE is a Reportable Person. For the purposes of determining whether a Controlling Person of a Passive NFE is a Reportable Person, a Reporting Financial Institution may rely on:

i. information collected and maintained pursuant to AML/KYC Procedures in the case of a Preexisting Entity Account held by one or more NFEs with an aggregate account balance or value that does not exceed USD 1 000 000 or an equivalent amount denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland; or

ii. a self-certification from the Account Holder or such Controlling Person of the jurisdiction(s) (being a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdictions) in which the Controlling Person is resident for tax purposes.

E. Timing of Review and Additional Procedures Applicable to Preexisting Entity Accounts.

1. Review of Preexisting Entity Accounts with an aggregate account balance or value that exceeds USD 250 000 or an equivalent amount denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland, as of 31 December preceding the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX], must be completed within two years of the entry into force.

2. Review of Preexisting Entity Accounts with an aggregate account balance or value that does not exceed USD 250 000 or an equivalent amount denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland, as of 31 December preceding the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX], but exceeds that amount as of 31 December of a subsequent year, must be completed within the calendar year following the year in which the aggregate account balance or value exceeds such amount.

3. If there is a change of circumstances with respect to a Preexisting Entity Account that causes the Reporting Financial Institution to know, or have reason to know, that the self-certification or other documentation associated with an account is incorrect or unreliable, the Reporting Financial Institution must re-determine the status of the account in accordance with the procedures set forth in paragraph D.

Section VI: Due Diligence for New Entity Accounts

The following procedures apply for purposes of identifying Reportable Accounts among New Entity Accounts.

A. Review Procedures for Identifying Entity Accounts With Respect to Which Reporting Is Required. For New Entity Accounts, a Reporting Financial Institution must apply the following review procedures to determine whether the account is held by one or more Reportable Persons, or by Passive NFEs with one or more Controlling Persons who are Reportable Persons:

1. Determine Whether the Entity Is a Reportable Person.

a) Obtain a self-certification, which may be part of the account opening documentation, that allows the Reporting Financial Institution to determine the Account Holder’s residence(s) for tax purposes and confirm the reasonableness of such self-certification based on the information obtained by the Reporting Financial Institution in connection with the opening of the account, including any documentation collected pursuant to AML/KYC Procedures. If the Entity certifies that it has no residence for tax purposes, the Reporting Financial Institution may rely on the address of the principal office of the Entity to determine the residence of the Account Holder.

b) If the self-certification indicates that the Account Holder is resident in a Reportable Jurisdiction, the Reporting Financial Institution must treat the account as a Reportable Account unless it reasonably determines based on information in its possession or that is publicly available, that the Account Holder is not a Reportable Person with respect to such Reportable Jurisdiction.

2. Determine Whether the Entity is a Passive NFE with One or More Controlling Persons Who Are Reportable Persons. With respect to an Account Holder of a New Entity Account (including an Entity that is a Reportable Person), the Reporting Financial Institution must determine whether the Account Holder is a Passive NFE with one or more Controlling Persons who are Reportable Persons. If any of the Controlling Persons of a Passive NFE is a Reportable Person, then the account must be treated as a Reportable Account. In making these determinations the Reporting Financial Institution must follow the guidance in subparagraphs A(2)(a) through (c) in the order most appropriate under the circumstances.

a) Determining whether the Account Holder is a Passive NFE. For purposes of determining whether the Account Holder is a Passive NFE, the Reporting Financial Institution must rely on a self-certification from the Account Holder to establish its status, unless it has information in its possession or that is publicly available, based on which it can reasonably determine that the Account Holder is an Active NFE or a Financial Institution other than an Investment Entity described in subparagraph A(6)(b) of Section VIII that is not a Participating Jurisdiction Financial Institution .

b) Determining the Controlling Persons of an Account Holder. For purposes of determining the Controlling Persons of an Account Holder, a Reporting Financial Institution may rely on information collected and maintained pursuant to AML/KYC Procedures.

c) Determining whether a Controlling Person of a Passive NFE is a Reportable Person. For purposes of determining whether a Controlling Person of a Passive NFE is a Reportable Person, a Reporting Financial Institution may rely on a self-certification from the Account Holder or such Controlling Person.

Section VII: Special Due Diligence Rules

The following additional rules apply in implementing the due diligence procedures described above:

A. Reliance on Self-Certifications and Documentary Evidence. A Reporting Financial Institution may not rely on a self-certification or Documentary Evidence if the Reporting Financial Institution knows or has reason to know that the self-certification or Documentary Evidence is incorrect or unreliable.

B. Alternative Procedures for Financial Accounts Held by Individual Beneficiaries of a Cash Value Insurance Contract or an Annuity Contract and for a Group Cash Value Insurance Contract or Group Annuity Contract. A Reporting Financial Institution may presume that an individual beneficiary (other than the owner) of a Cash Value Insurance Contract or an Annuity Contract receiving a death benefit is not a Reportable Person and may treat such Financial Account as other than a Reportable Account unless the Reporting Financial Institution has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that the beneficiary is a Reportable Person. A Reporting Financial Institution has reason to know that a beneficiary of a Cash Value Insurance Contract or an Annuity Contract is a Reportable Person if the information collected by the Reporting Financial Institution and associated with the beneficiary contains indicia as described in paragraph B of Section III. If a Reporting Financial Institution has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that the beneficiary is a Reportable Person, the Reporting Financial Institution must follow the procedures in paragraph B of Section III.

A Member State or Switzerland shall have the option to allow Reporting Financial Institutions to treat a Financial Account that is a member’s interest in a Group Cash Value Insurance Contract or Group Annuity Contract as a Financial Account that is not a Reportable Account until the date on which an amount is payable to the employee/certificate holder or beneficiary, if the Financial Account that is a member’s interest in a Group Cash Value Insurance Contract or Group Annuity Contract meets the following requirements:

a) the Group Cash Value Insurance Contract or Group Annuity Contract is issued to an employer and covers 25 or more employees/certificate holders;

b) the employee/certificate holders are entitled to receive any contract value related to their interests and to name beneficiaries for the benefit payable upon the employee’s death; and

c) the aggregate amount payable to any employee/certificate holder or beneficiary does not exceed USD 1 000 000 or an equivalent amount denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland .

The term “Group Cash Value Insurance Contract” means a Cash Value Insurance Contract that (i) provides coverage on individuals who are affiliated through an employer, trade association, labour union, or other association or group; and (ii) charges a premium for each member of the group (or member of a class within the group) that is determined without regard to the individual health characteristics other than age, gender, and smoking habits of the member (or class of members) of the group.

The term “Group Annuity Contract” means an Annuity Contract under which the obligees are individuals who are affiliated through an employer, trade association, labour union, or other association or group.

Before the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX], Member States shall communicate to Switzerland and Switzerland shall communicate to the European Commission whether they have exercised the option foreseen in this paragraph. The European Commission may coordinate the transmission of the communication from Member States to Switzerland and the European Commission shall transmit the communication from Switzerland to all Member States. All further changes to the exercise of that option by a Member State or Switzerland shall be communicated in the same manner.

C. Account Balance Aggregation and Currency Rules.

1. Aggregation of Individual Accounts. For purposes of determining the aggregate balance or value of Financial Accounts held by an individual, a Reporting Financial Institution is required to aggregate all Financial Accounts maintained by the Reporting Financial Institution, or by a Related Entity, but only to the extent that the Reporting Financial Institution’s computerised systems link the Financial Accounts by reference to a data element such as client number or TIN, and allow account balances or values to be aggregated. Each holder of a jointly held Financial Account shall be attributed the entire balance or value of the jointly held Financial Account for purposes of applying the aggregation requirements described in this subparagraph.

2. Aggregation of Entity Accounts. For purposes of determining the aggregate balance or value of Financial Accounts held by an Entity, a Reporting Financial Institution is required to take into account all Financial Accounts that are maintained by the Reporting Financial Institution, or by a Related Entity, but only to the extent that the Reporting Financial Institution’s computerised systems link the Financial Accounts by reference to a data element such as client number or TIN, and allow account balances or values to be aggregated. Each holder of a jointly held Financial Account shall be attributed the entire balance or value of the jointly held Financial Account for purposes of applying the aggregation requirements described in this subparagraph.

3. Special Aggregation Rule Applicable to Relationship Managers. For purposes of determining the aggregate balance or value of Financial Accounts held by a person to determine whether a Financial Account is a High Value Account, a Reporting Financial Institution is also required, in the case of any Financial Accounts that a relationship manager knows, or has reason to know, are directly or indirectly owned, controlled, or established (other than in a fiduciary capacity) by the same person, to aggregate all such accounts.

4. Amounts Read to Include Equivalent in Other Currencies. All dollar amounts or amounts denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland shall be read to include equivalent amounts in other currencies, as determined by domestic law.

Section VIII: Defined Terms

The following terms have the meanings set forth below:

A. Reporting Financial Institution

1. The term “Reporting Financial Institution” means any Member State Financial Institution or Swiss Financial Institution, as the context requires, that is not a Non-Reporting Financial Institution.

2. The term “Participating Jurisdiction Financial Institution” means (i) any Financial Institution that is resident in a Participating Jurisdiction, but excludes any branch of that Financial Institution that is located outside such Participating Jurisdiction, and (ii) any branch of a Financial Institution that is not resident in a Participating Jurisdiction, if that branch is located in such Participating Jurisdiction.

3. The term “Financial Institution” means a Custodial Institution, a Depository Institution, an Investment Entity, or a Specified Insurance Company.

4. The term “Custodial Institution” means any Entity that holds, as a substantial portion of its business, Financial Assets for the account of others. An Entity holds Financial Assets for the account of others as a substantial portion of its business if the Entity’s gross income attributable to the holding of Financial Assets and related financial services equals or exceeds 20 % of the Entity’s gross income during the shorter of: (i) the three-year period that ends on 31 December (or the final day of a non-calendar year accounting period) prior to the year in which the determination is being made; or (ii) the period during which the Entity has been in existence.

5. The term “Depository Institution” means any Entity that accepts deposits in the ordinary course of a banking or similar business.

6. The term “Investment Entity” means any Entity:

a) which primarily conducts as a business one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:

i. trading in money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives, etc.); foreign exchange; exchange, interest rate and index instruments; transferable securities; or commodity futures trading;

ii. individual and collective portfolio management; or

iii. otherwise investing, administering, or managing Financial Assets or money on behalf of other persons;

or

b) the gross income of which is primarily attributable to investing, reinvesting, or trading in Financial Assets, if the Entity is managed by another Entity that is a Depository Institution, a Custodial Institution, a Specified Insurance Company, or an Investment Entity described in subparagraph A(6)(a).

An Entity is treated as primarily conducting as a business one or more of the activities described in subparagraph A(6)(a), or an Entity’s gross income is primarily attributable to investing, reinvesting, or trading in Financial Assets for the purposes of subparagraph A(6)(b), if the Entity’s gross income attributable to the relevant activities equals or exceeds 50 % of the Entity’s gross income during the shorter of: (i) the three-year period ending on 31 December of the year preceding the year in which the determination is made; or (ii) the period during which the Entity has been in existence. The term “Investment Entity” does not include an Entity that is an Active NFE because that Entity meets any of the criteria in subparagraphs D(8)(d) through (g).

This paragraph shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with similar language set forth in the definition of “financial institution” in the Financial Action Task Force Recommendations.

7. The term “Financial Asset” includes a security (for example, a share of stock in a corporation; partnership or beneficial ownership interest in a widely held or publicly traded partnership or trust; note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness), partnership interest, commodity, swap (for example, interest rate swaps, currency swaps, basis swaps, interest rate caps, interest rate floors, commodity swaps, equity swaps, equity index swaps, and similar agreements), Insurance Contract or Annuity Contract, or any interest (including a futures or forward contract or option) in a security, partnership interest, commodity, swap, Insurance Contract, or Annuity Contract. The term “Financial Asset” does not include a non-debt, direct interest in real property.

8. The term “Specified Insurance Company” means any Entity that is an insurance company (or the holding company of an insurance company) which issues, or is obligated to make payments with respect to, a Cash Value Insurance Contract or an Annuity Contract.

B. Non-Reporting Financial Institution

1. The term “Non-Reporting Financial Institution” means any Financial Institution which is:

a) a Governmental Entity, International Organisation or Central Bank, other than with respect to a payment that is derived from an obligation held in connection with a commercial financial activity of a type engaged in by a Specified Insurance Company, Custodial Institution, or Depository Institution;

b) a Broad Participation Retirement Fund; a Narrow Participation Retirement Fund; a Pension Fund of a Governmental Entity, International Organisation or Central Bank; or a Qualified Credit Card Issuer;

c) any other Entity that presents a low risk of being used to evade tax, has substantially similar characteristics to any of the Entities described in subparagraphs B(1)(a) and (b), and is defined in domestic law as a Non-Reporting Financial Institution, and, for Member States, is provided for in paragraph 7a of Article 8 of Council Directive 2011/16/EU on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation and communicated to Switzerland and for Switzerland, is communicated to the European Commission, provided that the status of such Entity as a Non-Reporting Financial Institution does not frustrate the purposes of this Agreement;

d) an Exempt Collective Investment Vehicle; or

e) a trust to the extent that the trustee of the trust is a Reporting Financial Institution and reports all information required to be reported pursuant to Section I with respect to all Reportable Accounts of the trust.

2. The term “Governmental Entity” means the government of a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction, any political subdivision of a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction (which, for the avoidance of doubt, includes a state, province, county, or municipality), or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction or of any one or more of the foregoing (each, a “Governmental Entity”). This category is comprised of the integral parts, controlled entities, and political subdivisions of a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction.

a) An “integral part” of a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction means any person, organisation, agency, bureau, fund, instrumentality, or other body, however designated, that constitutes a governing authority of a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction. The net earnings of the governing authority must be credited to its own account or to other accounts of the Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction, with no portion inuring to the benefit of any private person. An integral part does not include any individual who is a sovereign, official, or administrator acting in a private or personal capacity.

b) A controlled entity means an Entity which is separate in form from the Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction or which otherwise constitutes a separate juridical entity, provided that:

i. the Entity is wholly owned and controlled by one or more Governmental Entities directly or through one or more controlled entities;

ii. the Entity’s net earnings are credited to its own account or to the accounts of one or more Governmental Entities, with no portion of its income inuring to the benefit of any private person; and

iii. the Entity’s assets vest in one or more Governmental Entities upon dissolution.

c) Income does not inure to the benefit of private persons if such persons are the intended beneficiaries of a governmental programme, and the programme activities are performed for the general public with respect to the common welfare or relate to the administration of some phase of government. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, income is considered to inure to the benefit of private persons if the income is derived from the use of a Governmental Entity to conduct a commercial business, such as a commercial banking business, that provides financial services to private persons.

3. The term “International Organisation” means any international organisation or wholly owned agency or instrumentality thereof. This category includes any intergovernmental organisation (including a supranational organisation) (1) that is comprised primarily of governments; (2) that has in effect a headquarters or substantially similar agreement with the Member State, Switzerland or the other jurisdiction; and (3) the income of which does not inure to the benefit of private persons.

4. The term “Central Bank” means an institution that is by law or government sanction the principal authority, other than the government of the Member State, Switzerland or the other jurisdiction itself, issuing instruments intended to circulate as currency. Such an institution may include an instrumentality that is separate from the government of the Member State, Switzerland or the other jurisdiction, whether or not owned in whole or in part by the Member State, Switzerland or the other jurisdiction.

5. The term “Broad Participation Retirement Fund” means a fund established to provide retirement, disability, or death benefits, or any combination thereof, to beneficiaries who are current or former employees (or persons designated by such employees) of one or more employers in consideration for services rendered, provided that the fund:

a) does not have a single beneficiary with a right to more than 5 % of the fund’s assets;

b) is subject to government regulation and provides information reporting to the tax authorities; and

c) satisfies at least one of the following requirements:

i. the fund is generally exempt from tax on investment income, or taxation of such income is deferred or taxed at a reduced rate, due to its status as a retirement or pension plan;

ii. the fund receives at least 50 % of its total contributions (other than transfers of assets from other plans described in subparagraphs B(5) through (7) or from retirement and pension accounts described in subparagraph C(17)(a)) from the sponsoring employers;

iii. distributions or withdrawals from the fund are allowed only upon the occurrence of specified events related to retirement, disability, or death (except rollover distributions to other retirement funds described in subparagraphs B(5) through (7) or retirement and pension accounts described in subparagraph C(17)(a)), or penalties apply to distributions or withdrawals made before such specified events; or

iv. contributions (other than certain permitted make-up contributions) by employees to the fund are limited by reference to earned income of the employee or may not exceed annually USD 50 000 or an equivalent amount denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland, applying the rules set forth in paragraph C of Section VII for account aggregation and currency translation.

6. The term “Narrow Participation Retirement Fund” means a fund established to provide retirement, disability, or death benefits to beneficiaries who are current or former employees (or persons designated by such employees) of one or more employers in consideration for services rendered, provided that:

a) the fund has fewer than 50 participants;

b) the fund is sponsored by one or more employers that are not Investment Entities or Passive NFEs;

c) the employee and employer contributions to the fund (other than transfers of assets from retirement and pension accounts described in subparagraph C(17)(a)) are limited by reference to earned income and compensation of the employee, respectively;

d) participants that are not residents of the jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland) in which the fund is established are not entitled to more than 20 % of the fund’s assets; and

e) the fund is subject to government regulation and provides information reporting to the tax authorities.

7. The term “Pension Fund of a Governmental Entity, International Organisation or Central Bank” means a fund established by a Governmental Entity, International Organisation or Central Bank to provide retirement, disability, or death benefits to beneficiaries or participants who are current or former employees (or persons designated by such employees), or who are not current or former employees, if the benefits provided to such beneficiaries or participants are in consideration of personal services performed for the Governmental Entity, International Organisation or Central Bank.

8. The term “Qualified Credit Card Issuer” means a Financial Institution satisfying the following requirements:

a) the Financial Institution is a Financial Institution solely because it is an issuer of credit cards that accepts deposits only when a customer makes a payment in excess of a balance due with respect to the card and the overpayment is not immediately returned to the customer; and

b) beginning on or before the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX], the Financial Institution implements policies and procedures either to prevent a customer from making an overpayment in excess of USD 50 000 or an equivalent amount denominated in the domestic currency of each Member State or Switzerland , or to ensure that any customer overpayment in excess of that amount, is refunded to the customer within 60 days, in each case applying the rules set forth in paragraph C of Section VII for account aggregation and currency translation. For this purpose, a customer overpayment does not refer to credit balances to the extent of disputed charges but does include credit balances resulting from merchandise returns.

9. The term “Exempt Collective Investment Vehicle” means an Investment Entity that is regulated as a collective investment vehicle, provided that all of the interests in the collective investment vehicle are held by or through individuals or Entities that are not Reportable Persons, except a Passive NFE with Controlling Persons who are Reportable Persons.

An Investment Entity that is regulated as a collective investment vehicle does not fail to qualify under subparagraph B(9) as an Exempt Collective Investment Vehicle, solely because the collective investment vehicle has issued physical shares in bearer form, provided that:

a) the collective investment vehicle has not issued, and does not issue, any physical shares in bearer form after 31 December preceding the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX];

b) the collective investment vehicle retires all such shares upon surrender;

c) the collective investment vehicle performs the due diligence procedures set forth in Sections II through VII and reports any information required to be reported with respect to any such shares when such shares are presented for redemption or other payment; and

d) the collective investment vehicle has in place policies and procedures to ensure that such shares are redeemed or immobilised as soon as possible and in any event within two years of the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX].

C. Financial Account

1. The term “Financial Account” means an account maintained by a Financial Institution, and includes a Depository Account, a Custodial Account and:

a) in the case of an Investment Entity, any equity or debt interest in the Financial Institution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Financial Account” does not include any equity or debt interest in an Entity that is an Investment Entity solely because it (i) renders investment advice to, and acts on behalf of, or (ii) manages portfolios for, and acts on behalf of, a customer for the purpose of investing, managing, or administering Financial Assets deposited in the name of the customer with a Financial Institution other than such Entity;

b) in the case of a Financial Institution not described in subparagraph C(1)(a), any equity or debt interest in the Financial Institution, if the class of interests was established with a purpose of avoiding reporting in accordance with Section I; and

c) any Cash Value Insurance Contract and any Annuity Contract issued or maintained by a Financial Institution, other than a non-investment-linked, non-transferable immediate life annuity that is issued to an individual and monetises a pension or disability benefit provided under an account that is an Excluded Account.

The term “Financial Account” does not include any account that is an Excluded Account.

2. The term “Depository Account” includes any commercial, checking, savings, time, or thrift account, or an account that is evidenced by a certificate of deposit, thrift certificate, investment certificate, certificate of indebtedness, or other similar instrument maintained by a Financial Institution in the ordinary course of a banking or similar business. A Depository Account also includes an amount held by an insurance company pursuant to a guaranteed investment contract or similar agreement to pay or credit interest thereon.

3. The term “Custodial Account” means an account (other than an Insurance Contract or Annuity Contract) which holds one or more Financial Assets for the benefit of another person.

4. The term “Equity Interest” means, in the case of a partnership that is a Financial Institution, either a capital or profits interest in the partnership. In the case of a trust that is a Financial Institution, an Equity Interest is considered to be held by any person treated as a settlor or beneficiary of all or a portion of the trust, or any other natural person exercising ultimate effective control over the trust. A Reportable Person will be treated as being a beneficiary of a trust if such Reportable Person has the right to receive directly or indirectly (for example, through a nominee) a mandatory distribution or may receive, directly or indirectly, a discretionary distribution from the trust.

5. The term “Insurance Contract” means a contract (other than an Annuity Contract) under which the issuer agrees to pay an amount upon the occurrence of a specified contingency involving mortality, morbidity, accident, liability, or property risk.

6. The term “Annuity Contract” means a contract under which the issuer agrees to make payments for a period of time determined in whole or in part by reference to the life expectancy of one or more individuals. The term also includes a contract that is considered to be an Annuity Contract in accordance with the law, regulation, or practice of the jurisdiction (being a Member State, Switzerland or other jurisdiction) in which the contract was issued, and under which the issuer agrees to make payments for a term of years.

7. The term “Cash Value Insurance Contract” means an Insurance Contract (other than an indemnity reinsurance contract between two insurance companies) that has a Cash Value.

8. The term “Cash Value” means the greater of (i) the amount that the policyholder is entitled to receive upon surrender or termination of the contract (determined without reduction for any surrender charge or policy loan), and (ii) the amount the policyholder can borrow under or with regard to the contract. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Cash Value” does not include an amount payable under an Insurance Contract:

a) solely by reason of the death of an individual insured under a life insurance contract ;

b) as a personal injury or sickness benefit or other benefit providing indemnification of an economic loss incurred upon the occurrence of the event insured against;

c) as a refund of a previously paid premium (less cost of insurance charges whether or not actually imposed) under an Insurance Contract (other than an investment-linked life insurance or annuity contract) due to cancellation or termination of the contract, decrease in risk exposure during the effective period of the contract, or arising from the correction of a posting or similar error with regard to the premium for the contract;

d) as a policyholder dividend (other than a termination dividend) provided that the dividend relates to an Insurance Contract under which the only benefits payable are described in subparagraph C(8)(b); or

e) as a return of an advance premium or premium deposit for an Insurance Contract for which the premium is payable at least annually if the amount of the advance premium or premium deposit does not exceed the next annual premium that will be payable under the contract.

9. The term “Preexisting Account” means:

a) a Financial Account maintained by a Reporting Financial Institution as of 31 December preceding the entry into force of the Amending Protocol signed on [XXXX].

b) A Member State or Switzerland shall have the option of extending the term “Preexisting Account” to mean also any Financial Account of an Account Holder, regardless of the date such Financial Account was opened, if:

i. the Account Holder also holds with the Reporting Financial Institution, or with a Related Entity within the same jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland) as the Reporting Financial Institution, a Financial Account that is a Preexisting Account under subparagraph C(9)(a);

ii. the Reporting Financial Institution, and, as applicable, the Related Entity within the same jurisdiction (being a Member State or Switzerland) as the Reporting Financial Institution, treats both of the aforementioned Financial Accounts, and any other Financial Accounts of the Account Holder that are treated as Preexisting Accounts under point (b), as a single Financial Account for purposes of satisfying the standards of knowledge requirements set forth in paragraph A of