CEIOPS' Review Panel was set up in August 2008 and is chaired by Michel Flamée, Vice President of the Belgian Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission (CBFA). The panel is a permanent group comprising high-level representatives of CEIOPS Members and Observers with the necessary independence and objectivity, seniority, knowledge of the community legislation and CEIOPS measures, and expertise in supervisory practices to guarantee the credibility and the effectiveness of the mechanism.

As stated in its Protocol, the Review Panel is mandated to help monitoring the implementation of supervisory provisions set out in Community Legislation and in CEIOPS measures ("Supervisory provisions") and to monitor convergence in supervisory practices.

The Review Panel aims at encouraging a timely and consistent day to day application of all the above and enhancing supervisory convergence within the European Economic Area. In this respect, it will conduct panel reviews based on self-assessments provided by its Members in accordance to clear and objective Methodology.

The areas of activity of the Review Panel are decided at least once a year by CEIOPS after discussion on the possible priorities. The Review Panel's Work Programme 2009 includes its working methods, the selection criteria for choosing the topic for the first exercise and the final decision on the subject of its first exercise.

To guarantee to upmost transparency of the process, CEIOPS will make public on its website both the report on the self-assessment and the final report on the peer reviews.

As provided in Article 6.3 of the Protocol, the Review Panel may take into consideration, for the purpose of establishing its yearly work programme, the suggestions of other CEIOPS committees and expert groups as well as of the members of CEIOPS Consultative Panel.

Protocol (Principles, Role, Purpose, Tools, Working Procedures)

Methodology on Peer Reviews (Guidance and procedures for self-assessments, peer reviews, reporting publication requirements und updating)

Review Panel Work Programme 2010

For its first Review Panel excercise, CEIOPS decided to assess the application of the provisions of information exchange and supervisory cooperation in the context of the General Protocol (in particular those on authorisation, cross-border activities and on-going supervision), the Budapest protocol (in particular those on cross-border activities and on-going supervision) and the Helsinki Protocol (in particular on the existing guidelines) together with CEIOPS-CEBS 10 Common Principles for Colleges of supervisors.

During the first phase of this excercise, CEIOPS Members and Observers will reply by end June 2009 to the following questionaires:

CEIOPS Self-assesment questionnaire - General Protocol

CEIOPS Self-assesment questionnaire - Budapest Protocol

CEIOPS Self-assesment questionnaire - Helsinki Protocol

The self-assesments have been published on a dedicated webpage. CEIOPS Members and Observers remain responsible for the answers provided.