Consumer Credit Benchmarking Study : Survey Questionnaire

Transcription

1 Consumer Credit Benchmarking Study : Survey Questionnaire Study Objectives Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO) has appointed GHK consulting ( to conduct a benchmarking study so that the Commission can assess the future economic impact of the Consumer Credit Directive on the functioning of the internal market in this sector and on the level of consumer protection A specific objective of the study is to develop a benchmarking tool that consists of a set of easily accessible and relevant indicators on the state of play of the consumer credit market in the EU. Having selected the indicators, the study will collect data on, and assess the present situation of consumer credit in the EU and in each of the 27 Member States, according to the indicators chosen. It will contain statistical analysis of the data, including scoreboards and graphs offering a clear vision of the overall situation, with a view to facilitating future comparisons and assessing evolution. Study Context The new Consumer Credit Directive aims at putting in place the conditions for genuine internal market in consumer credit (i.e. facilitating cross-border transactions), and at maintaining or establishing a high level of consumer protection in this area throughout the EU. It is essential that those two objectives are attained in parallel. The Directive is based on five main modules: full harmonisation of the pre-contractual information, of the contractual information, of the Percentage Rate of charge calculation method, of the conditions for early repayment and of the right of withdrawal. The full harmonisation aims at creating a level-playing field for creditors (who should not have to adapt their products to different legislations when going cross-border) and a climate of confidence for consumers, who enjoy the same level of protection throughout the EU as in their own Member State. In addition, the Directive contains a number of provisions where Member States are given leeway for implementation. However, when they choose to make use of these possibilities, they must refer it to the Commission which will make it public and assess the impact on the internal market. The concerned provisions are listed in the Directive. Lastly, the Directive contains thresholds and ceilings which might require updating in time, according to the economic context. In order for the Commission to make informed decisions in this area in the future, such as revisions of the Directive, the Commission needs an efficient benchmarking tool to assess the future impact of the Directive (1) as a whole and (2) with respect to the provisions giving Member States leeway for implementation and thresholds and ceilings contained in the Directive. Purpose of this Questionnaire The purpose of this fieldwork is to establish the nature and scope of statistics relating to consumer credit and consumer protection, currently available in each Member State. Your Page 1

2 cooperation in answering the questions is kindly requested. The survey will take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. If you have any concerns or questions regarding this Survey or Study please contact Charu Wilkinson to confirm: Charu Wilkinson Senior Consultant GHK Consulting Ltd 30 St. Paul's Square Birmingham B3 1QZ T +44 (0) F +44 (0) charu.wilkinson@ghkint.com Page 2

3 Identity of the Respondent Name of the organisation: Country: Name of the person completing the questionnaire: Position: Phone number: Questions 1. If you are a banking or a credit association please specify the number of companies that are members of your organisation 2. Please indicate which of the following consumer credit statistics are collected by your organisation and the frequency of data collection. For definitions or further clarification, please refer to Annex 1. Consumer Credit Indicator Value of consumer credit outstanding Proportion of household consumption financed by credit Breakdown of credit outstanding by source (e.g. banks, specialist finance companies, credit unions etc.) Breakdown of credit financed by nonbank financial institutions according to product category (loans, credit cards etc.) Breakdown of credit financed by banks according to product category (loans, credit card etc.) Frequency of Availability Page 3

4 Consumer Credit Indicator on different types of credits such as linked credit, fixed/variable rate loans Average Price of credit by product category Average interest rate Market size by product category (e.g. loans, credit cards, store credit etc) Specifically for Revolving Credit (such as credit cards, store cards) Number of accounts Number of cards in issue Percentage of balances bearing interest Frequency of Availability Percentage of business across borders (within EU) directly Percentage of business across borders (within EU) through subsidiaries Types and size (value) of credit agreements concluded within and across borders Number of cross-border credit agreements Page 4

5 Consumer Credit Indicator Number of consumers making use of right of withdrawal Early repayment charges imposed on customers Number of consumers making use of rights of early repayment Default rates Number of out-of-court dispute settlements Number of personal bankruptcies filed Number of consumer complaints received Number of consumer complaints resolved satisfactorily Frequency of Availability Page 5

6 Consumer Credit Indicator Frequency of Availability 3. Please indicate any other statistics on consumer credit (not mentioned in the above table) that are collected or compiled by your organisation. Consumer credit statistics collected Frequency 4. Sources: Which of the following institutions provide information to your organisation? Sources Yes Institutions Provide Private commercial banks Public commercial or development banks Credit union/cooperatives Finance companies / leasing companies Micro Finance Institution Credit card issuers Retailers and merchants Others, please specify: Most important source (tick ONE only) Page 6

7 5. Are you aware of any other organisation(s) that may be collecting data on consumer credit / consumer protection? Yes No If YES, can you please list them for us 6. Please provide the details of the individual who we may contact regarding the data and statistics compiled by your organisation Name of the person compiling data and statistics: Department / Team: Position: Phone number: Thank you for completing this questionnaire. Page 7