2006/355/EC: Commission Decision of  16 May 2006  setting up an expert group on customer mobility in relation to bank accounts
Date: 2006-05-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: advisory committee (EU), bank deposit, consumer protection, free movement of capital, operation of the Institutions

19.5.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 132/37

COMMISSION DECISION

of 16 May 2006

setting up an expert group on customer mobility in relation to bank accounts

(2006/355/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

obstacles to open a bank account cross-border as well as
to switch banks both at domestic and cross-border level (e.g.
cost of opening, maintaining and closing a bank account,
direct switching costs etc.).

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Article 3 of
the Treaty establishing the European
Community assigned the European Community the task
of ensuring the creation of an internal market charac-
terised by the abolition, as between Member States, of
obstacles
to the free movement of goods, persons,
services and capital.

The Commission wishes to identify any legal, regulatory,
administrative and other obstacles to customer mobility
in relation to bank accounts, and to be advised on how
to address these obstacles.

The White Paper on the Financial Services Policy 2005-
2010 (1) provides for the setting up of an expert group
on customer mobility in relation to bank accounts.

The group must be made up of
individuals having
expertise in the area of customer mobility in relation
to bank accounts.

— Provide advice to the Commission on how the identified

obstacles should be addressed.

— Consider the merits of designing an EU optional standard

bank account.

— Issue a report containing its findings and advice.

Article 3

Composition — Appointment

The members of the group shall be appointed by the
in the area

1.
Commission from experts with competence
covered by the mandate of the group, on the basis of:

— proposals from European or national associations, repre-
senting customer and financial services industry interests,
which have responded to a call for expression of interest;

The expert group on customer mobility in relation to
bank accounts therefore has to be set up and its terms
of reference and structures detailed,

— responses to a call for expression of interest by individuals

with academic background.

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The expert group on customer (2) mobility in relation to bank
accounts hereinafter referred to as ‘the group’ is hereby set up
by the Commission.

Article 2

Task

The group's task is to:

— Identify any legal,

obstacles
accounts.

to customer mobility
In particular,

regulatory, administrative and other
in relation to bank
the group should identify any

(1) COM(2005) 629 final.
(2) For the purposes of this Decision, customer is to be defined as an

individual consumer or an SME.

The group shall be composed of a maximum of 20

2.
members.

3.

The following provisions shall apply:

— members proposed by European or national associations,
industry
interested

services
representatives of

representing
interests, are appointed as
parties;

and financial

customer

— members with academic background are appointed in a

personal capacity;

— the mandate of the members of the group shall start with
the first meeting of the group and end with the issuance of
the report, no later than 1 May 2007. They shall remain in
office until such time as they are replaced or their mandate
ends;

L 132/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

19.5.2006

— members who are no longer able to contribute effectively to
the group’s deliberations, who resign or who do not respect
the conditions set out in the first, second or third dash of
this paragraph or Article 287 of the Treaty establishing the
European Community may be replaced for the remaining
period of their mandate;

— the names of the members will be published on the Internet
site of the DG Internal Market and Services. The names of
collected, processed and published in
members
accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No
45/2001 on the protection of individuals with regards to
the processing of personal data.

are

— Members appointed in a personal capacity shall each year
sign an undertaking to act in the public interest and a
declaration indicating the absence or existence of any
interest which may undermine their objectivity.

Article 4

Operation

1.

The group is chaired by the Commission.

2.
In agreement with the Commission, sub-groups may be
set up to examine specific questions under terms of reference
established by the group; they shall be disbanded as soon as
these have been fulfilled.

3.
Observers with specific competence on a subject on the
agenda may be invited by the Chairman to participate in the
this is useful and/or
group's or sub-group's deliberations if
necessary.

Information obtained by participating in the group's or
the

4.
if
sub-group's
Commission says that this relates to confidential matters.

deliberations may not

divulged

be

in the
services. Commission officials with an interest
proceedings may attend meetings of the group and its sub-
groups.

The group shall adopt its rules of procedure on the basis
the
the

procedure

standard

adopted

rules

by

of

6.
of
Commission (1)

7.
The Commission may publish on the Internet site of DG
language of the
Internal Market and Services,
document concerned, any summary, conclusion, or partial
conclusion or working document of the group.

in the original

Article 5

Meeting expenses

1.
The Commission shall reimburse travel and subsistence
expenses for members and observers in connection with the
group's activities in accordance with the provisions in force at
the Commission. The members shall not be remunerated for the
services they render.

2. Meeting expenses are reimbursed within the limits of the
appropriations allocated to the department concerned under the
annual procedure for allocating resources.

Article 6

Entry into force

The decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption by
the Commission. It shall be published in the Official Journal of
the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 16 May 2006.

The group and its

5.
sub-groups normally meet on
Commission premises in accordance with the procedures and
schedule established by it. The Commission provides secretarial

For the Commission

Charlie McCREEVY
Member of the Commission

(1) Annex III of document SEC(2005) 1004.