European Banking Authority (EBA): location of the seat
The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs adopted the report prepared jointly by Burkhard BALZ (EPP, DE) and Pervenche BERÈS (S&D, FR) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 as regards the location of the seat of the European Banking Authority (EBA).
In the context of the United Kingdom's notification on 29 March 2017 of its intention to leave the Union, the Commission proposed to amend Regulation (EC) No 1093/2010 with a view to establishing the seat of the EBA in Paris, France.
The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission's proposal so as to make it clear that the relocation of the EBA shall not have any consequences with regard to executing the distinct mandate or maintaining the separate legal status of the European Supervisory Authorities, namely the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). At the latest on the date of application of the Regulation and every 12 months thereafter, the Commission shall report on the compliance of those Authorities with that requirement.
The relocation of the EBA might allow, where applicable, for the sharing of administrative support services and facility management services among Union agencies which are not related to core activities.
The new premises should be ready and fit for the purpose of permanent relocation by the time the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union comes into effect. Furthermore, they stressed that the transfer of the seat of the EBA does not call into question the establishment plan as adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, nor the application of the Staff Regulations to officials or other agents who work at the EBA.
In a statement annexed to the draft Regulation, the European Parliament regretted that its role of co-legislator has not been duly taken into account since it was not involved in the procedure leading to the selection of the new seat of the European Banking Authority (EBA). They condemned the procedure followed for the selection of the new location of the seat, which has de facto deprived the European Parliament of its prerogatives since it was not effectively involved in the process, but is now expected to simply confirm the selection made for the new location of the seat by means of the ordinary legislative procedure.
Under these conditions, the European Parliament insisted that the procedure followed for the selection of a new location for the agencies will be revised and not used anymore in this form in the future.