Recital 23

(23)Directive 2009/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ⁸ introduced a fixed coverage level of EUR 100 000, which has put some Member States in the situation of having to lower their coverage level, with risks of undermining depositor confidence. While harmonisation is essential in order to secure the level playing field and financial stability in the internal market, risks of undermining depositor confidence should be taken into account. Therefore, Member States should be able to apply a higher coverage level if they provided for a coverage level that was higher than the harmonised level before the application of Directive 2009/14/EC. Such higher coverage level should be limited in time and in scope and the Member States concerned should adjust the target level and contributions paid to their DGSs proportionately. Given that it is not possible to adjust the target level if the coverage level is unlimited, it is appropriate to limit the option to Member States which on 1 January 2008 applied a coverage level within a range of between EUR 100 000 and EUR 300 000. In order to limit the impact of diverging coverage levels, and taking into account that the Commission will review the implementation of this Directive by 31 December 2018, it is appropriate to allow for this option until that date.