Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Protocol (No 4) on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular to Article 27.1 thereof,

Having regard to Recommendation ECB/2013/32 of the European Central Bank of 2 September 2013 to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of the Banco de España^f1,

Whereas:

The accounts of the European Central Bank (ECB) and of the national central banks of the Eurosystem are to be audited by independent external auditors recommended by the Governing Council of the ECB and approved by the Council of the European Union.

The mandate of the current external auditors of the Banco de España expired after the audit for the financial year 2012. It is therefore necessary to appoint external auditors from the financial year 2013.

The Banco de España has selected KPMG Auditores, S.L. as its external auditors for the financial years 2013 to 2017.

The Governing Council of the ECB recommended that KPMG Auditores, S.L. be appointed as the external auditors of the Banco de España for the financial years 2013 to 2017.

It is appropriate to follow the recommendation of the Governing Council of the ECB and to amend Council Decision 1999/70/EC^f2 accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: