FBE comments on White Paper on Financial Services

08 February 2006

The European Banking Federation (FBE) issued its comments on the Commissions’ White Paper on Financial Services stating that the Commission should have emphasised that the creation of a European Single market for financial services is not an end in itself but rather a means to increasing the international competitiveness of the EU market place.

The Federation is disappointed by a perceived lack of ambition from the Commission as regards to achieve consolidated supervision and had expected more concrete proposals being set out in the White Paper. FBE also stresses the need to reinforce the interaction with other policy areas within the European Commission such as DG SANCO, DG TAXUD and DG Competition as this is essential. With regard to the retail financial services market, the FBE is concerned that minimum harmonisation has resulted in divergent regulations and therefore proved to be a barrier to the provision of cross-border retail banking services. Full harmonisation of key retail banking elements (i.e. ‘targeted full harmonisation’) should be preferred.

This position is explicitly supported by an overwhelming majority of the banking industry. It is therefore particularly disappointing that the Commission does not recognize the benefits of such a ‘targeted full harmonisation’ approach in the consumer protection field.

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