L271/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 9.10.2002 DIRECTIVE 2002/65/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 September 2002 concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services and amending Council Directive 90/619/EEC and Directives 97/7/EC and 98/27[EC THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 47(2), Article 55 and Article 95 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1) It is important, in the context of achieving the aims of the single market, to adopt measures designed to consol- idate progressively this market and those measures must contribute to attaining a high level of consumer protec- tion, in accordance with Articles 95 and 153 of the Treaty. (2)  Both for consumers and suppliers of financial services, the distance marketing of financial services will consti- tute one of the main tangible results of the completion of the internal market. (3)  Within the framework of the internal market, it is in the interest of consumers to have access without discrim- ination to the widest possible range of financial services available in the Community so that they can choose those that are best suited to their needs. In order to safeguard freedom of choice, which is an essential consumer right, a high degree of consumer protection is required in order to enhance consumer confidence in distance selling. (4) It is essential to the smooth operation of the internal market for consumers to be able to negotiate and conclude contracts with a supplier established in other Member States, regardless of whether the supplier is also established in the Member State in which the consumer resides. () O] C 385, 11.12.1998, p. 10 and OJ C 177 E, 27.6.2000, p. 21. () O] C 169, 16.6.1999, p. 43. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 5 May 1999 (O] C 279, 1.10.1999, p. 207), Council Common Position of 19 December 2001 (O] C 58 E, 5.3.2002, p. 32) and Decision of the European Parliament of 14 May 2002 (not yet published in the Official Journal). Council Decision of 26 June 2002 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () (10) ( ( ( i ’) %) Because of their intangible nature, financial services are particularly suited to distance selling and the establish- ment of a legal framework governing the distance marketing of financial services should increase consumer confidence in the use of new techniques for the distance marketing of financial services, such as electronic commerce. This Directive should be applied in conformity with the Treaty and with secondary law, including Directive 2000/31/EC (*) on electronic commerce, the latter being applicable solely to the transactions which it covers. This Directive aims to achieve the objectives set forth above without prejudice to Community or national law governing freedom to provide services or, where applic- able, host Member State control and/or authorisation or supervision systems in the Member States where this is compatible with Community legislation. Moreover, this Directive, and in particular its provisions relating to information about any contractual clause on law applicable to the contract and/or on the competent court does not affect the applicability to the distance marketing of consumer financial services of Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters (°) or of the 1980 Rome Convention on the law applicable to contractual obligations. The achievement of the objectives of the Financial Services Action Plan requires a higher level of consumer protection in certain areas. This implies a greater conver- gence, in particular, in non harmonised collective invest- ment funds, rules of conduct applicable to investment services and consumer credits. Pending the achievement of the above convergence, a high level of consumer protection should be maintained. Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 1997 on the protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts (%), lays down the main rules applicable to distance contracts for goods or services concluded between a supplier and a consumer. However, that Directive does not cover finan- cial services. 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1. oJ L 0] L 12, 16.1.2001, p. 1. oL 144, 4.6.1997, p. 19.