📝L'Intensité du devoir de Vigilance dans le secteur bancaire ("The intensity of the duty of vigilance in the banking sector".) , in 🕴️M.-A. Frison-Roche (dir.), 📕L'obligation de Compliance

► Full Reference: M. Françon, "L’intensité du devoir de vigilance dans le secteur bancaire" (The intensity of the duty of vigilance in the banking sector), in M.-A. Frison-Roche (dir.), L'Obligation de Compliance, Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Dalloz, coll. "Régulations & Compliance", 2024, forthcoming

____

📕read the general presentation, L'Obligation de Compliance, in which this contribution is published

____

► English summary of this contribution (done by the Journal of Regulation & Compliance - JoRC) : The author develops the case of banking and insurance operators. He stresses that in the banking and insurance sectors, Vigilance consists of an obligation to process Information, collected in advance if necessary, with a view to preventing the occurrence of a systemic risk.

The identification and prevention of risk is a reinforced duty of vigilance which, in this context, varies in intensity. The banks and insurance companies obligation dates back a long time, whereas the duty of vigilance is a recent development. This time lag can be explained by the fact that compulsory vigilance is consubstantial with the very activity of the banker and the insurer and by the fact that the sector has always been systemic, which produces an interweaving of hard and soft law.

Variations in the intensity of the obligation to exercise Vigilance are due to the fact that there are two types of obligations: those imposed in the interests of the business and the customer, and those imposed in the interests of the stability of the system. The latter are much stronger than the former. They are as much a burden on the banker as they are on the customer. For example, obligations relating to money laundering are solely in the general interest, and the customer cannot rely on the bank's failings (decision of the French Cour de cassation, Commercial Chamber, 28 April 2004). Moreover, where the freezing of assets is concerned, the obligation of vigilance becomes one obligation of result.

In the general interest itself, the intensity varies according to the goals pursued, giving rise to "standard", "simplified" and "reinforced" vigilance obligation, depending on the underlying risk. In addition, interfering rights vary the obligation, in particular the protection of personal data, or the banker's right not to interfere in business's client. Lastly, there are interfering vigilance obligations on third parties, including those located outside Europe.

________