Article 21

Committee

1. The Commission shall be assisted by a Financial Conglomerates Committee, hereinafter referred to as the "Committee".

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.

3. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

4. Without prejudice to the implementing measures already adopted, on the expiry of a four-year period following the entry into force of this Directive, the application of the provisions thereof requiring the adoption of technical rules and decisions in accordance with the procedure referred to in paragraph 2 shall be suspended. On a proposal from the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council may renew the provisions concerned in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty and, to that end, they shall review them prior to the expiry of the period referred to above.

5. The Committee may give general guidance as to whether the supplementary supervision arrangements of competent authorities in third countries are likely to achieve the objectives of the supplementary supervision as defined in this Directive, in relation to the regulated entities in a financial conglomerate, the head of which has its head office outside the Community. The Committee shall keep any such guidance under review and take into account any changes to the supplementary supervision carried out by such competent authorities.

6. The Committee shall be kept informed by Member States of the principles they apply concerning the supervision of intra-group transactions and risk concentration.

CHAPTER IV

AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING DIRECTIVES