Breach of obligations when exercising the freedom to provide services

1. Where the competent authority of the host Member State has reason to consider that an insurance, reinsurance or ancillary insurance intermediary acting within its territory under the freedom to provide services is in breach of any obligation set out in this Directive, it shall communicate those considerations to the competent authority of the home Member State.

After assessing the information received pursuant to the first subparagraph, the competent authority of the home Member State shall, where applicable, and, if so, at the earliest opportunity, take appropriate measures to remedy the situation. It shall inform the competent authority of the host Member State of any such measures taken.

Where, despite the measures taken by the home Member State or because those measures prove to be inadequate or are lacking, the insurance, reinsurance or ancillary insurance intermediary persists in acting in a manner that is clearly detrimental to the interests of host Member State consumers on a large scale, or to the orderly functioning of insurance and reinsurance markets, the competent authority of the host Member State may, after informing the competent authority of the home Member State, take appropriate measures to prevent further irregularities, including, in so far as is strictly necessary, preventing that intermediary from continuing to carry on new business within its territory.

In addition, the competent authority of the home Member State or the host Member State may refer the matter to EIOPA and request its assistance in accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EU) No 1094/2010. In that case, EIOPA may act in accordance with the powers conferred on it by that Article.

2. Paragraph 1 shall not affect the power of the host Member State to take appropriate measures to prevent or penalise irregularities committed within its territory, in a situation where immediate action is necessary in order to protect the rights of consumers. This power shall include the possibility of preventing insurance, reinsurance and ancillary insurance intermediaries from carrying out new business within its territory.

3. Any measure adopted by the competent authorities of the host Member State under this Article shall be communicated to the insurance, reinsurance or ancillary insurance intermediary concerned in a well-reasoned document and notified to the competent authority of the home Member State, to EIOPA and to the Commission without undue delay.