1.A credit institution wishing to establish a branch within the territory of another Member State shall notify the competent authorities of its Member State.
2.The Member State shall require every credit institution wishing to establish a branch in another Member State to provide the following information when effecting the notification referred to in paragraph 1: (a) the Member State within the territory of which it plans to establish a branch; (b) a programme of operations setting out, inter alia, the types of business envisaged and the structural organisation of the branch; (c) the address in the host Member State from which documents may be obtained; (d) the names of those responsible for the management of the branch.
3.Unless the competent authorities of the home Member State have reason to doubt the adequacy of the administrative structure or the financial situation of the credit institution, taking into account the activities envisaged, they shall within three months of receipt of the information referred to in paragraph 2 communicate that information to the competent authorities of the host Member State and shall inform the institution accordingly. The home Member State competent authorities shall also communicate the amount of own funds and the solvency ratio of the credit institution. Where the competent authorities of the home Member State refuse to communicate the information referred to in paragraph 2 to the competent authorities of the host Member State, they shall give reasons for their refusal to the institution concerned within three months of receipt of all the information. That refusal or failure to reply shall be subject to a right to apply to the courts in the home Member State.
4.Before the branch of a credit institution commences its activities the competent authorities of the host Member State shall, within two months of receiving the information mentioned in paragraph 3, prepare for the supervision of the credit institution in accordance with Article 22 and if necessary indicate the conditions under which, in the interest of the general good, those activities must be carried on in the host Member State.
5.On receipt of a communication from the competent authorities of the host Member State, or in the event of the expiry of the period provided for in paragraph 4 without receipt of any communication from the latter, the branch may be established and commence its activities.
6.In the event of a change in any of the particulars communicated pursuant to paragraph 2(b), (c) or (d), a credit institution shall give written notice of the change in question to the competent authorities of the home and host Member States at least one month before making the change so as to enable the competent authorities of the home Member State to take a decision pursuant to paragraph 3 and the competent authorities of the host Member State to take a decision on the change pursuant to paragraph 4.
7.Branches which have commenced their activities, in accordance with the provisions in force in their host Member States, before 1 January 1993, shall be presumed to have been subject to the procedure laid down in paragraphs 1 to 5. They shall be governed, from the abovementioned date, by paragraph 6, and by Articles 18, 19, 22 and 29.