L 17322 Official Journal of the European Union 3.7.2008 COMMISSION DECISION of 13 June 2008 setting up an Expert Group on Credit Histories (2008/542[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Whereas: (1)  The Commission Communication on a single market for 21st century Europe (1), adopted in November 2007, was accompanied by a Staff Working Document on retail financial services (%), which stressed the importance of the access to and availability of credit data in promoting competitive retail financial services markets. It also announced the establishment of an expert group on credit histories. (2)  The White Paper on the Integration of EU Mortgage Credit Markets (}) concluded that mortgage lenders and intermediaries should be required to adequately assess, by all appropriate means, the creditworthiness of borrowers before granting mortgage loans. It also concluded that mortgage lenders should not be discriminated against when accessing credit registers in other Member States and that credit data should circulate smoothly, while complying fully with Community data protection rules. (3)  The Commission wishes to identify all legal, regulatory, administrative and other obstacles to the access to and the exchange of credit data, and to be advised on how to address these obstacles whilst ensuring a high level of consumer protection. (4)  The expert group should be composed of individuals having competence in the area of credit data. 5 It is important to ensure that members of the grou p group provide objective expert advice. (6)  Personal data relating to members of the group should be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (%), 1) COM(2007) 724 final. (\C (2) SEC(2007) 1520. () COM(2007) 807 final. (% O] L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1. HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 A group of experts on credit histories (hereinafter referred to as the group) is hereby set up by the Commission. Atrticle 2 Task The task of the group is to: — identify all legal, regulatory, administrative and other obstacles to the access to and the exchange of credit data. In particular, the group shall analyse the possible impacts of the coexistence of different approaches to the organisation and working of credit registers in the Community and identify the consequences thereof from an economic point of view. It will also analyse the existing situation from the consumer protection (including data protection) point of view, — present proposals as to how the identified obstacles could be addressed. To this end, the group shall aim at identifying solutions which maximise credit data circulation whilst ensuring a high level of consumer protection. Atticle 3 Composition — Appointment 1. The group shall be composed of a maximum of 20 members. 2. The members of the group shall be appointed by the Commission from experts with competence in the area covered by the mandate of the group, following a call for expression of interest, on the basis of proposals from any of the following: — European or national associations, representing the interests of consumers or the financial services industry, — private or public credit data collectors or credit data processors from Member States,