19.5.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 132/37 COMMISSION DECISION of 16 May 2006 setting up an expert group on customer mobility in relation to bank accounts (2006/355EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Whereas: (1)  Article 3 of the Treaty establishing the European Community assigned the European Community the task of ensuring the creation of an internal market charac- terised by the abolition, as between Member States, of obstacles to the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. (2)  The Commission wishes to identify any legal, regulatory, administrative and other obstacles to customer mobility in relation to bank accounts, and to be advised on how to address these obstacles. (3)  The White Paper on the Financial Services Policy 2005- 2010 () provides for the setting up of an expert group on customer mobility in relation to bank accounts. (4 The group must be made up of individuals having expertise in the area of customer mobility in relation to bank accounts. (5)  The expert group on customer mobility in relation to bank accounts therefore has to be set up and its terms of reference and structures detailed, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 The expert group on customer (3) mobility in relation to bank accounts hereinafter referred to as ‘the group’ is hereby set up by the Commission. Atrticle 2 Task The group’s task is to: — Identify any legal, regulatory, administrative and other obstacles to customer mobility in relation to bank accounts. In particular, the group should identify any (1) COM(2005) 629 final. (3) For the purposes of this Decision, customer is to be defined as an individual consumer or an SME. obstacles to open a bank account cross-border as well as to switch banks both at domestic and cross-border level (e.g. cost of opening, maintaining and closing a bank account, direct switching costs etc.). — Provide advice to the Commission on how the identified obstacles should be addressed. — Consider the merits of designing an EU optional standard bank account. — Issue a report containing its findings and advice. Atticle 3 Composition — Appointment 1. 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, on the basis of: — proposals from European or national associations, repre- senting customer and financial services industry interests, which have responded to a call for expression of interest; — responses to a call for expression of interest by individuals with academic background. 2. The group shall be composed of a maximum of 20 members. 3. The following provisions shall apply: — members proposed by European or national associations, representing customer and financial services industry interests, are appointed as representatives of interested parties; — members with academic background are appointed in a personal capacity; — the mandate of the members of the group shall start with the first meeting of the group and end with the issuance of the report, no later than 1 May 2007. They shall remain in office until such time as they are replaced or their mandate ends;