2. Each Party shall accord to financial institutions of another Party, and to investments of investors of another Party in financial institutions, treatment no less favourable than that it accords to its own financial institutions, and to investments of its own investors in financial institutions, in like circumstances, with respect to the establishment, acquisition, expansion, management, conduct, operation, and sale or other disposition of financial institutions and investments.
3. For greater certainty, the treatment to be accorded by a Party under paragraphs 1 and 2 means, with respect to a regional level of government, treatment no less favourable than the most favourable treatment accorded, in like circumstances, by that regional level of government to investors, financial institutions and investments of investors in financial institutions, of the Party of which it forms a part.
4. For the purposes of the national treatment obligations in Article 11.6.1 (Cross-Border Trade), a Party shall accord to cross-border financial service suppliers of another Party treatment no less favourable than that it accords to its own financial service suppliers, in like circumstances, with respect to the supply of the relevant service.
Article 11.4. Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment
1. Each Party shall accord to:
(a) investors of another Party, treatment no less favourable than that it accords to investors of any other Party or of a non-Party, in like circumstances;
(b) financial institutions of another Party, treatment no less favourable than that it accords to financial institutions of any other Party or of a non-Party, in like circumstances;
(c) investments of investors of another Party in financial institutions, treatment no less favourable than that it accords to investments of investors of any other Party or of a non-Party in financial institutions, in like circumstances; and
(d) cross-border financial service suppliers of another Party, treatment no less favourable than that it accords to cross-border financial service suppliers of any other Party or of a non-Party, in like circumstances.
2. For greater certainty, the treatment referred to in paragraph 1 does not encompass international dispute resolution procedures or mechanisms such as those included in Article 11.2.2(b) (Scope).
Article 11.5. Market Access for Financial Institutions
No Party shall adopt or maintain with respect to financial institutions of another Party or investors of another Party seeking to establish those institutions, either on the basis of a regional subdivision or on the basis of its entire territory, measures that:
(a) impose limitations on:
(i) the number of financial institutions whether in the form of numerical quotas, monopolies, exclusive service suppliers or the requirement of an economic needs test;
(ii) the total value of financial service transactions or assets in the form of numerical quotas or the requirement of an economic needs test;
(iii) the total number of financial service operations or the total quantity of financial services output expressed in terms of designated numerical units in the form of quotas or the requirement of an economic needs test;(6) or
(iv) the total number of natural persons that may be employed in a particular financial service sector or that a financial institution may employ and who are necessary for, and directly related to, the supply of a specific financial service in the form of numerical quotas or the requirement of an economic needs test; or
(b) restrict or require specific types of legal entity or joint venture through which a financial institution may supply a service.
Article 11.6. Cross-Border Trade
1. Each Party shall permit, under terms and conditions that accord national treatment, cross-border financial service suppliers of another Party to supply the financial services specified in Annex 11-A (Cross-Border Trade).
2. Each Party shall permit persons located in its territory, and its nationals wherever located, to purchase financial services from cross-border financial service suppliers of another Party located in the territory of a Party other than the permitting Party. This obligation does not require a Party to permit those suppliers to do business or solicit in its territory. A Party may define "doing business" and "solicitation" for the purposes of this obligation provided that those definitions are not inconsistent with paragraph 1.
3. Without prejudice to other means of prudential regulation of cross-border trade in financial services, a Party may require the registration or authorisation of cross-border financial service suppliers of another Party and of financial instruments.
Article 11.7. New Financial Services (7)
Each Party shall permit a financial institution of another Party to supply a new financial service that the Party would permit its own financial institutions, in like circumstances, to supply without adopting a law or modifying an existing law. (8) Notwithstanding Article 11.5(b) (Market Access for Financial Institutions), a Party may determine the institutional and juridical form through which the new financial service may be supplied and may require authorisation for the supply of the service. If a Party requires a financial institution to obtain authorisation to supply a new financial service, the Party shall decide within a reasonable period of time whether to issue the authorisation and may refuse the authorisation only for prudential reasons.
Article 11.8. Treatment of Certain Information
Nothing In this Chapter shall require a Party to furnish or allow access to:
(a) information related to the financial affairs and accounts of individual customers of financial institutions or cross-border financial service suppliers; or
(b) any confidential information, the disclosure of which would impede law enforcement or otherwise be contrary to the public interest or prejudice legitimate commercial interests of particular enterprises.
Article 11.9. Senior Management and Boards of Directors
1. No Party shall require financial institutions of another Party to engage natural persons of any particular nationality as senior managerial or other essential personnel.
2. No Party shall require that more than a minority of the board of directors of a financial institution of another Party be composed of nationals of the Party, persons residing in the territory of the Party, or a combination thereof.
Article 11.10. Non-Conforming Measures
1. Article 11.3 (National Treatment), Article 11.4 (Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment), Article 11.5 (Market Access for Financial Institutions), Article 11.6 (Cross-Border Trade) and Article 11.9 (Senior Management and Boards of Directors) shall not apply to:
(a) any existing non-conforming measure that is maintained by a Party at:
(i) the central level of government, as set out by that Party in Section A of its Schedule to Annex III;
(iii) a regional level of government, as set out by that Party in Section A of its Schedule to Annex III; or
(iii) a local level of government;
(b) the continuation or prompt renewal of any non-conforming measure referred to in subparagraph (a); or
(c) an amendment to any non-conforming measure referred to in subparagraph (a) to the extent that the amendment does not decrease the conformity of the measure as it existed: (9)
(i) immediately before the amendment, with Article 11.3 (National Treatment), Article 11.4 (Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment), Article 11.5 (Market Access for Financial Institutions) or Article 11.9 (Senior Management and Boards of Directors); or
(ii) on the date of entry into force of the Agreement for the Party applying the non-conforming measure, with Article 11.6 (Cross-Border Trade).
2. Article 11.3 (National Treatment), Article 11.4 (Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment), Article 11.5 (Market Access for Financial Institutions), Article 11.6 (Cross-Border Trade) and Article 11.9 (Senior Management and Boards of Directors) shall not apply to any measure that a Party adopts or maintains with respect to sectors, subsectors or activities, as set out by that Party in Section B of its Schedule to Annex III.
3. A non-conforming measure, set out in a Party's Schedule to Annex I or II as not subject to Article 9.4 (National Treatment), Article 9.5 (Most-Favoured- Nation Treatment), Article 9.11 (Senior Management and Boards of Directors), Article 10.3 (National Treatment) or Article 10.4 (Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment), shall be treated as a non-conforming measure not subject to Article 11.3 (National Treatment), Article 11.4 (Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment) or Article 11.9 (Senior Management and Boards of Directors), as the case may be, to the extent that the measure, sector, subsector or activity set out in the entry is covered by this Chapter.
4. (a) Article 11.3 (National Treatment) shall not apply to any measure that falls within an exception to, or derogation from, the obligations which are imposed by:
(i) Article 18.8 (National Treatment); or
(ii) Article 3 of the TRIPS Agreement, if the exception or derogation relates to matters not addressed by Chapter 18 (Intellectual Property).
(b) Article 11.4 (Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment) shall not apply to any measure that falls within Article 5 of the TRIPS Agreement, or an exception to, or derogation from, the obligations which are imposed by:
(i) Article 18.8 (National Treatment); or
ii) Article 4 of the TRIPS Agreement.
Article 11.11. Exceptions
1. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Chapter and Agreement except for Chapter 2 (National Treatment and Market Access for Goods), Chapter 3 (Rules of Origin and Origin Procedures), Chapter 4 (Textiles and Apparel), Chapter 5 (Customs Administration and Trade Facilitation), Chapter 6 (Trade Remedies), Chapter 7 (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures) and Chapter 8 (Technical Barriers to Trade), a Party shall not be prevented from adopting or maintaining measures for prudential reasons, (10) (11) including for the protection of investors, depositors, policy holders, or persons to whom a fiduciary duty is owed by a financial institution or cross-border financial service supplier, or to ensure the integrity and stability of the financial system. If these measures do not conform with the provisions of this Agreement to which this exception applies, they shall not be used as a means of avoiding the Party's commitments or obligations under those provisions.
2. Nothing in this Chapter, Chapter 9 (Investment), Chapter 10 (Cross- Border Trade in Services), Chapter 13 (Telecommunications) including specifically Article 13.24 (Relation to Other Chapters), or Chapter 14 (Electronic Commerce), shall apply to non-discriminatory measures of general application taken by any public entity in pursuit of monetary and related credit policies or exchange rate policies. This paragraph shall not affect a Party's obligations under Article 9.10 (Performance Requirements) with respect to measures covered by Chapter 9 (Investment), under Article 9.9 (Transfers) or Article 10.12 (Payments and Transfers).
3. Notwithstanding Article 9.9 (Transfers) and Article 10.12 (Payments and Transfers), as incorporated into this Chapter, a Party may prevent or limit transfers by a financial institution or cross-border financial service supplier to, or for the benefit of, an affiliate of or person related to such institution or supplier, through the equitable, non-discriminatory and good faith application of measures relating to maintenance of the safety, soundness, integrity, or financial responsibility of financial institutions or cross-border financial service suppliers. This paragraph does not prejudice any other provision of this Agreement that permits a Party to restrict transfers.
4. For greater certainty, nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to prevent a Party from adopting or enforcing measures necessary to secure compliance with laws or regulations that are not inconsistent with this Chapter, including those relating to the prevention of deceptive and fraudulent practices or to deal with the effects of a default on financial services contracts, subject to the requirement that such measures are not applied in a manner which would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between Parties or between Parties and non-Parties where like conditions prevail, or a disguised restriction on investment in financial institutions or cross-border trade in financial services as covered by this Chapter.
Article 11.12. Recognition
1. Party may recognise prudential measures of another Party or a non-Party in the application of measures covered by this Chapter. (12) That recognition may be:
(a) accorded autonomously;
(b) achieved through harmonisation or other means; or
(c) based upon an agreement or arrangement with another Party or a non-Party.
2. A Party that accords recognition of prudential measures under paragraph 1 shall provide adequate opportunity to another Party to demonstrate that circumstances exist in which there are or would be equivalent regulation, oversight, implementation of regulation and, if appropriate, procedures concerning the sharing of information between the relevant Parties.
3. If a Party accords recognition of prudential measures under paragraph 1(c) and the circumstances set out in paragraph 2 exist, that Party shall provide adequate opportunity to another Party to negotiate accession to the agreement or arrangement, or to negotiate a comparable agreement or arrangement.
Article 11.13. Transparency and Administration of Certain Measures
1. The Parties recognise that transparent regulations and policies governing the activities of financial institutions and cross-border financial service suppliers are important in facilitating their ability to gain access to and operate in each other's markets. Each Party commits to promote regulatory transparency in financial services.
2. Each Party shall ensure that all measures of general application to which this Chapter applies are administered in a reasonable, objective and impartial manner.
3. Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of Article 26.2 (Publication), shall not apply to regulations of general application relating to the subject matter of this Chapter. Each Party shall, to the extent practicable:
(a) publish in advance any such regulation that it proposes to adopt and the purpose of the regulation; and
(b) provide interested persons and other Parties with a reasonable opportunity to comment on that proposed regulation.
4. At the time that it adopts a final regulation, a Party should, to the extent practicable, address in writing the substantive comments received from interested persons with respect to the proposed regulation. (13)
5. To the extent practicable, each Party should allow a reasonable period of time between publication of a final regulation of general application and the date when it enters into effect.
6. Each Party shall ensure that the rules of general application adopted or maintained by a self-regulatory organisation of the Party are promptly published or otherwise made available in a manner that enables interested persons to become acquainted with them.
7. Each Party shall maintain or establish appropriate mechanisms for responding to inquiries from interested persons regarding measures of general application covered by this Chapter.
8. Each Party's regulatory authorities shall make publicly available the requirements, including any documentation required, for completing an application relating to the supply of financial services.
9. On request of an applicant, a Party's regulatory authority shall inform the applicant of the status of its application. If the authority requires additional information from the applicant, it shall notify the applicant without undue delay.
10. A Party's regulatory authority shall make an administrative decision on a complete application of an investor in a financial institution, a financial institution or a cross-border financial service supplier of another Party relating to the supply of a financial service, within 120 days and shall promptly notify the applicant of the decision. An application shall not be considered complete until all relevant hearings have been held and all necessary information has been received. If it is not practicable for a decision to be made within 120 days, the regulatory authority shall notify the applicant without undue delay and shall endeavour to make the decision within a reasonable period of time thereafter.
11. On request of an unsuccessful applicant, a regulatory authority that has denied an application shall, to the extent practicable, inform the applicant of the reasons for denial of the application.
Article 11.14. Self-Regulatory Organisations
If a Party requires a financial institution or a cross-border financial service supplier of another Party to be a member of, participate in, or have access to, a self-regulatory organisation in order to provide a financial service in or into its territory, it shall ensure that the self-regulatory organisation observes the obligations contained in Article 11.3 (National Treatment) and Article 11.4 (Most- Favoured-Nation Treatment).
Article 11.15. Payment and Clearing Systems
Under terms and conditions that accord national treatment, each Party shall grant financial institutions of another Party established in its territory access to payment and clearing systems operated by public entities, and to official funding and refinancing facilities available in the normal course of ordinary business. This Article is not intended to confer access to the Party's lender of last resort facilities.
Article 11.16. Expedited Availability of Insurance Services
The Parties recognise the importance of maintaining and developing regulatory procedures to expedite the offering of insurance services by licensed suppliers. These procedures may include: allowing introduction of products unless those products are disapproved within a reasonable period of time; not requiring product approval or authorisation of insurance lines for insurance other than insurance sold to individuals or compulsory insurance; or not imposing limitations on the number or frequency of product introductions. If a Party maintains regulatory product approval procedures, that Party shall endeavour to maintain or improve those procedures.
Article 11.17. Performance of Back-Office Functions
1. The Parties recognise that the performance of the back-office functions of a financial institution in its territory by the head office or an affiliate of the financial institution, or by an unrelated service supplier, either inside or outside its territory, is important to the effective management and efficient operation of that financial institution. While a Party may require financial institutions to ensure compliance with any domestic requirements applicable to those functions, they recognise the importance of avoiding the imposition of arbitrary requirements on the performance of those functions.
2. For greater certainty, nothing in paragraph 1 prevents a Party from requiring a financial institution in its territory to retain certain functions.
Article 11.18. Specific Commitments
Annex 11-B (Specific Commitments) sets out certain specific commitments by each Party.
Article 11.19. Committee on Financial Services
1. The Parties hereby establish a Committee on Financial Services (Committee). The principal representative of each Party shall be an official of the Party's authority responsible for financial services set out in Annex 11-D (Authorities Responsible for Financial Services).
2. The Committee shall:
(a) supervise the implementation of this Chapter and its further elaboration;
(b) consider issues regarding financial services that are referred to it by a Party; and
(c) participate in the dispute settlement procedures in accordance with Article 11.22 (Investment Disputes in Financial Services).
3. The Committee shall meet annually, or as it decides otherwise, to assess the functioning of this Agreement as it applies to financial services. The Committee shall inform the Commission of the results of any meeting.
Article 11.20. Consultations
1. A Party may request, in writing, consultations with another Party regarding any matter arising under this Agreement that affects financial services. The other Party shall give sympathetic consideration to the request to hold consultations. The consulting Parties shall report the results of their consultations to the Committee.
2. With regard to matters relating to existing non-conforming measures maintained by a Party at a regional level of government as referred to in Article 11.10.1(a)(i) (Non-Conforming Measures):
(a) A Party may request information on any non-conforming measure at the regional level of government of another Party. Each Party shall establish a contact point to respond to those requests and to facilitate the exchange of information regarding the operation of measures covered by those requests.
(b) If a Party considers that a non-conforming measure applied by a regional level of government of another Party creates a material impediment to trade or investment by a financial institution, an investor, investments in a financial institution or a cross-border financial service supplier, the Party may request consultations with regard to that measure. These Parties shall enter into consultations with a view to exchanging information on the operation of the measure and to considering whether further steps are necessary and appropriate.
3. Consultations under this Article shall include officials of the authorities specified in Annex 11-D (Authorities Responsible for Financial Services).
4. For greater certainty, nothing in this Article shall be construed to require a Party to derogate from its law regarding sharing of information between financial regulators or the requirements of an agreement or arrangement between financial authorities of the Parties, or to require a regulatory authority to take any action that would interfere with specific regulatory, supervisory, administrative or enforcement matters.
Article 11.21. Dispute Settlement
1. Chapter 28 (Dispute Settlement) shall apply as modified by this Article to the settlement of disputes arising under this Chapter.
2. If a Party claims that a dispute arises under this Chapter, Article 28.9 (Composition of Panels) shall apply, except that:
(a) if the disputing Parties agree, each panellist shall meet the qualifications in paragraph 3; and
(b) in any other case:
(i) each disputing Party shall select panellists that meet the qualifications set out in either paragraph 3 or Article 28.10.1 (Qualifications of Panellists); and
(ii) if the responding Party invokes Article 11.11 (Exceptions), the chair of the panel shall meet the qualifications set out in paragraph 3, unless the disputing Parties otherwise agree.
3. In addition to the requirements set out in Article 28.10.1(b) to (d) (Qualifications of Panellists), panellists in disputes arising under this Chapter shall have expertise or experience in financial services law or practice, which may include the regulation of financial institutions.
4. A Party may request the establishment of a panel pursuant to Article 11.22.2(c) (investment Disputes in Financial Services) to consider whether and to what extent Article 11.11 (Exceptions) is a valid defence to a claim without having to request consultations under Article 28.5 (Consultations). The panel shall endeavour to present its initial report pursuant to Article 28.17 (Initial Report) within 150 days after the last panellist is appointed.
5. If a Party seeks to suspend benefits in the financial services sector, a panel that reconvenes to make a determination on the proposed suspension of benefits, in accordance with Article 28.20.5 (Non-Implementation â Compensation and Suspension of Benefits), shall seek the views of financial services experts, as necessary.
Article 11.22. Investment Disputes In Financial Services
1. If an investor of a Party submits a claim to arbitration under Section B of Chapter 9 (Investment) challenging a measure relating to regulation or supervision of financial institutions, markets or instruments, the expertise or experience of any 11-18 particular candidate with respect to financial services law or practice shall be taken into account in the appointment of arbitrators to the tribunal.
2. If an investor of a Party submits a claim to arbitration under Section B of Chapter 9 (Investment), and the respondent invokes Article 11.11 (Exceptions) as a defence, the following provisions of this Article shall apply.
(a) The respondent shall, no later than the date the tribunal fixes for the respondent to submit its counter-memorial, or in the case of an amendment to the notice of arbitration, the date the tribunal fixes for the respondent to submit its response to the amendment, submit in writing to the authorities responsible for financial services of the Party of the claimant, as set out in Annex 11-D (Authorities Responsible for Financial Services), a request for a joint determination by the authorities of the respondent and the Party of the claimant on the issue of whether and to what extent Article 11.11 (Exceptions) is a valid defence to the claim. The respondent shall promptly provide the tribunal, if constituted, and the non- disputing Parties a copy of the request. The arbitration may proceed with respect to the claim only as provided in paragraph 4.(14)
(b) The authorities of the respondent and the Party of the claimant shall attempt in good faith to make a determination as described in subparagraph (a). Any such determination shall be transmitted promptly to the disputing parties, the Committee and, if constituted, to the tribunal. The determination shall be binding on the tribunal and any decision or award issued by the tribunal must be consistent with that determination.
(c) If the authorities referred to in subparagraphs (a) and (b) have not made a determination within 120 days of the date of receipt of the respondentâs written request for a determination under subparagraph (a), the respondent or the Party of the claimant may request the establishment of a panel under Chapter 28 (Dispute Settlement) to consider whether and to what extent Article 11.11 (Exceptions) is a valid defence to the claim. The panel established under Article 28.7 (Establishment of a Panel) shall be constituted in accordance with Article 11.21 (Dispute Settlement). Further to Article 28.18 (Final Report), the panel shall transmit its final report to the disputing Parties and to the tribunal.
3. The final report of a panel referred to in paragraph 2(c) shall be binding on the tribunal, and any decision or award issued by the tribunal must be consistent with the final report.
4. If no request for the establishment of a panel pursuant to paragraph 2(c) has been made within 10 days of the expiration of the 120 day period referred to in paragraph 2(c), the tribunal established under Article 9.19 (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration) may proceed with respect to the claim.
(a) The tribunal shall draw no inference regarding the application of Article 11.11 (Exceptions) from the fact that the authorities have not made a determination as described in paragraphs 2(a), (b) and (c).
(b) The Party of the claimant may make oral and written submissions to the tribunal regarding the issue of whether and to what extent Article 11.11 (Exceptions) is a valid defence to the claim. Unless it makes such a submission, the Party of the claimant shall be presumed, for the purposes of the arbitration, to take a position on Article 11.11 that is not inconsistent with that of the respondent.
5. For the purposes of this Article, the definitions of the following terms set out in Article 9.1 (Definitions) are incorporated, mutatis mutandis: "claimant", "disputing parties", "disputing party", "non-disputing Party" and "respondent".
ANNEX 11-A . CROSS-BORDER TRADE
Australia Insurance and insurance-related services
1. Article 11.6.1 (Cross-Border Trade) shall apply to the cross-border supply of or trade in financial services, as defined in subparagraph (a) of the definition of "cross-border supply of financial services" in Article 11.1 (Definitions), with respect to:
(a) insurance of risks relating to:
(i) maritime shipping and commercial aviation and space launching and freight (including satellites), with such insurance to cover any or all of the following: the goods being transported, the vehicle transporting the goods, and any liability arising therefrom; and
(ii) goods in international transit;
(b) reinsurance and retrocession;
(c) services auxiliary to insurance, such as consultancy, risk assessment, actuarial and claim settlement services; and
(d) insurance intermediation, such as brokerage and agency, as referred to in subparagraph (c) of the definition of "financial service" in Article 11.1 (Definitions), of insurance of risks related to services listed in subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this paragraph.
Banking and other financial services (excluding insurance)
2. Article 11.6.1 (Cross-Border Trade) shall apply to the cross-border supply of or trade in financial services, as defined in subparagraph (a) of the definition of "cross-border supply of financial services" in Article 11.1 (Definitions), with respect to:
(a) provision and transfer of financial information, and financial data processing and related software relating to banking and other financial services, as referred to in subparagraph (o) of the definition of "financial service" in Article 11.1 (Definitions); and
(b) advisory and other auxiliary services, excluding intermediation, relating to banking and other financial services, as referred to in subparagraph (p) of the definition of "financial service" in Article 11.1 (Definitions).
Brunei Darussalam
Insurance and insurance-related services
1. Article 11.6.1 (Cross-Border Trade) shall apply to the cross-border supply of or trade in financial services, as defined in subparagraph (a) of the definition of "cross-border supply of financial services" in Article 11.1 (Definitions), with respect to:
(a) insurance of risks relating to:
(i) maritime shipping and commercial aviation and space launching and freight (including satellites), with such insurance to cover any or all of the following: the goods being transported, the vehicle transporting the goods, and any liability arising therefrom; and
(ii) goods in international transit;