Commission Decision of 29 August 2011 setting up a Payment Systems Market Expert Group

30.8.2011 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 253/3
COMMISSION DECISION
of 29 August 2011
setting up a Payment Systems Market Expert Group
2011/C 253/04
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Whereas:
(1) One of the main objectives of the Union is to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market, of which payment services are an essential part. In a context of rapid innovation and technological progress, it is important for the internal market to have sound, user-friendly, efficient and secure payment systems, for the benefit of service providers and users alike.
(2) In accordance with the better regulation principles, the Commission attaches great importance to properly consulting relevant stakeholders, in particular payment service providers and users, including consumers and other representatives of civil society, in developing policy regarding payment systems. For this purpose, the Commission may need to call upon the expertise of specialists in an advisory body.
(3) A group of experts in the field of payment systems has therefore been set up by Commission Decision 2009/72/EC (1).
(4) As stated in its White Paper on Financial Services Policy 2005-2010, the Commission attaches high importance to having the views of users adequately represented in the course of developing and implementing policy. Therefore, the Group should enable the views of relevant interested parties to be represented appropriately. The Commission considers that the current composition of the Group is not sufficiently reflecting the views of users, in particular consumers. The establishment of the Group is therefore re-cast to better balance representation between payment service providers and users and to increase the number of members representing consumers.
(5) The Group should be composed of individuals with the requisite expertise in the area of payment systems. It should, however, be limited to representatives of private stakeholders, since public authorities and central banks have their own consultative group in the field of payment systems.
(6) The Group should assist the Commission in the preparation and in the implementation of policy regarding payment systems.
(7) Rules on disclosure of information by members of the Group should be provided for, without prejudice to the rules on security annexed to the Commission’s Rules of Procedure by Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC, Euratom (2).
(8) Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (3) governs the processing of personal data carried out within the framework of the Group.
(9) Commission Decision 2009/72/EC of 15 December 2008 setting up a Payment Systems Market Expert Group should be repealed.
(10) It is appropriate to fix a period of application of this Decision. The Commission will in due time consider the advisability of an extension,