“No L 228/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 16.8.73 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 24 July 1973 abolishing restrictions on freedom of establishment in the business of direct insurance other than life assurance (73/240/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, ‘Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 54 (2) and (3) thercof; Having regard to the General Programme () for the abolition of restrictions on freedom of establishment, and in particular Title IV C thereof; Having regard to the proposal from the Commission; Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (3); Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3); Whereas the General Programme referred to above provides for the abolition of all discriminatory ‘treatment of the nationals of the other Member States as rcgards establishment in the business of direct insurance other than life assurance; Whereas, in “accordance with this  General Programme, the lifting of restrictions on the setting-up of agencies and branches is, as regards direct insurance undertakings, dependent upon the coordination of conditions of taking up and pursuit of the business; whereas this coordination has been achieved for direct . insurance other than life assurance, by the first Council Directive of 24 July 1973; ' Whereas the scope of this Directive is in all respects the same as that defined in item A of the Annex to the first Directive on coordination; whereas it appearcd reasonable in the circumstances to exclude, for purposes of coordination, credit-insurance for exports; ' Whereas, in accordance with the General Programme referred to above, the restrictions on theé right to join professional organizations must be abolished where (1) O] No 2, 15. 1. 1962, p. 36/62. (2) O] No C 27, 28. 3. 1968, p. 15. () OJ No 118, 20. 6. 1967, p. 2323/67. the professional activities of the persons concerned involve the exercise of this right; HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 Member States shall abolish, in respect of the natural persons and undertakings covered by Title I of the General Programme for the abolition of restrictions on freedom of establishment, hereinafter called ‘beneficiaries’, the restrictions referred to in Title 11 of this programme affecting the right to take up and pursue self-employed activities in the classes of insurance specified in Article 1 of the first Coordination Directive. By ‘First Coordination Directive’ is meant the first Council Directive of 24 July 1973 on coordination of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the taking-up and pursuit of the business of direct insurance other than life assurance. However, as regards credit-insurance for exports, these restrictions shall be maintained until the' coordination programme laid down in Article 2 (2) (d), of the first Coordination Directive has been carried out. Article 2 1. Member States shall in particular abolish the following restrictions: (a) those  which  prevent  beneficiaries  from establishing themselves in the host country under the same conditions and with the same rights as nationals of that country; (b) those existing by reason _of administrative practices which result in treatment being applied to beneficiaries that is discriminatory by comparison with that applied to nationals. 2. The restrictions to be abolished shall include in particular those arising our of mecasures which