In this subsection and for the application of the provisions relating to freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services :
1. Banking service” means a banking operation within the meaning of Article L. 311-1 or one of the related activities within the meaning of Article I of Article L. 311-2 ;
2. Competent authorities” means, as the case may be, the authority or authorities of a Member State responsible, in accordance with the legislation of that State, for authorising or supervising credit institutions which have their registered office there, or the European Central Bank;
3. Transaction carried out under the freedom to provide services” means a transaction whereby a credit or financial institution provides a banking service in a Member State other than that in which it has its registered office, other than through a permanent presence in that Member State;
3a. “Significant credit institution” means a significant credit institution within the meaning of Article 6(4) of Council Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013 of 15 October 2013 ;
3b. The expression: “participating Member State” means a State participating in the single supervisory mechanism within the meaning of Article 2(1) of Council Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013 of 15 October 2013 ;
4. Financial institution” means an undertaking as defined in point 26 of paragraph 1 of Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013.
For the purposes of this 4, on the one hand, the word “institution” and the words “portfolio management company” shall be understood within the meaning of Article 4(1)(3) and (19) respectively of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 and, on the other hand, the words “insurance holding companies” and “mixed insurance holding companies” shall mean insurance group companies and mixed insurance group companies respectively within the meaning of 1° and 2° of Article L. 322-1-2 of the French Insurance Code.
4 bis. The word “branch” refers to a place of business which constitutes a part of a credit institution or financial institution without legal personality and which directly carries out, in whole or in part, the operations inherent in the activity of a credit institution.
5. Member States of the European Union other than France are deemed to be States party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area.
The provisions of this sub-section do not apply to branches of credit institutions referred to in I of Article L. 511-10.