2005/377/EC: Council Decision of 10 May 2005 amending Decision 1999/70/EC concerning the external auditors of the national central banks, as regards the external auditors of the Nationale Bank van België/Banque Nationale de Belgique and the Bank of Greece
Date: 2005-05-10
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Belgium, European System of Central Banks, Greece, accountant, auditing, central bank

L 125/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

18.5.2005

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 10 May 2005

amending Decision 1999/70/EC concerning the external auditors of the national central banks, as
regards the external auditors of the Nationale Bank van België/Banque Nationale de Belgique and the
Bank of Greece

(2005/377/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Belgique (hereinafter NBB/BNB) has expired and will not
be renewed. It is therefore necessary to appoint external
auditors from the financial year 2005.

Having regard to the Protocol on the Statute of the European
System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank,
annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
and in particular to Article 27.1 thereof,

to

regard

and
Recommendations
Having
ECB/2005/8 of the European Central Bank of 7 April 2005
to the Council of
the European Union on the external
auditors of the Bank of Greece (1) and of the Nationale Bank
van België/Banque Nationale de Belgique (2),

ECB/2005/7

Whereas:

(1)

The accounts of the European Central Bank (ECB) and of
the national central banks of the Eurosystem are to be
audited by independent external auditors recommended
by the Governing Council of the ECB and approved by
the Council of the European Union.

(3)

(4)

(5)

The NBB/BNB has selected Ernst & Young Bedrijfsrevisor-
en/Réviseurs d’Entreprises as its new external auditors in
accordance with its public procurement rules, and the
ECB considers
the
necessary requirements for appointment.

the selected auditors

fulfil

that

The Governing Council of the ECB recommended that
the mandate of these external auditors should be for
three years, renewable once.

Under the law of Greece, the same external auditor may
not be appointed for more than four financial years.
the mandate of Charalambos Stathakis,
Accordingly,
who is one of the two current external auditors, may
not be renewed. The Bank of Greece may, under the
law of Greece, retain Ernst & Young (Hellas) Certified
Auditors SA as its external auditors, provided that the
partner in charge is rotated.

(2)

The mandate of
Bank
Nationale

the current external auditors of
België/Banque Nationale
van

the
de

(6)

(1) OJ C 91, 15.4.2005, p. 4.
(2) OJ C 91, 15.4.2005, p. 5.

The Bank of Greece has decided that Ernst & Young
(Hellas) Certified Auditors SA should be
sole
external auditor for the financial year 2005, and the
ECB considers that this company fulfils the necessary
requirements for such appointment.

its

18.5.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 125/9

(7)

(8)

The Governing Council of the ECB recommended that
the existing mandate of these external auditors should
continue and be for a renewable period of one year.

It is appropriate to follow the recommendations of the
Governing Council of the ECB and to amend Decision
1999/70/EC (1) accordingly,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 2

Article 1(12) of Decision 1999/70/EC shall be replaced by the
following:

‘12.
Ernst & Young (Hellas) Certified Auditors SA are
hereby approved as the external auditors of the Bank of
Greece for the financial year 2005 for a renewable period
of one year.’

Article 3

This Decision shall be notified to the ECB.

Article 1

Article 4

Article 1(1) of Decision 1999/70/EC shall be replaced by the
following:

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Union.

‘1.
Ernst & Young Bedrijfsrevisoren/Réviseurs d’Entreprises
are hereby approved as the external auditors of the Nationale
Bank van België/Banque Nationale de Belgique from the
financial year 2005 for a period of three years, this period
being renewable once.’

Done at Brussels, 10 May 2005.

For the Council
The President

J. KRECKÉ

(1) OJ L 22, 29.1.1999, p. 69. Decision as last amended by Decision

2005/266/EC (OJ L 82, 31.3.2005, p. 6).