FRENCHBANKINGFEDERATION

The French Banking Federation(FBF) is the professional bodythat represents all banksoperating in France.This includesalmost 500 French and foreign,commercial, cooperative andmutual banks.

The FBF has three core tasks which are reflectedin its organisation:

BANKING BUSINESS ANDRESEARCH

This department provides a full spectrum ofbanking expertise and oversees the FBF'scommissions and committees in such areas asretail banking and direct banking, investmentbanking and capital markets, risk control andprudential banking, systems and means ofpayment, legal and tax affairs, etc...It also negotiates and works with variousFrench and European government andregulatory authorities.

INFORMATION AND EXTERNALRELATIONS

This department's role is to anticipate changesin the political, economic and socialenvironment, promote the role of banking andbanks in society and make sure that all thoseconcerned are properly informed.This involves all forms of externalcommunication at the national and regionallevels, including relations with governmentofficials and members of Parliament, the media,consumers, young people and educators aswell as other professions and associations.It disseminates information to bankinginstitutions, most notably concerning newregulations in effect or in preparation and theFBF's work.

EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS

This department, based in Brussels, isresponsible for :

■ relations with EU institutions and withvarious bodies representing the banking andfinancial services sectors in Europe;

■ the monitoring of non-EU issues andrelations with global banking trade associations;

■ the monitoring of specific issues thatconcern foreign banks established in France.

1

THE FBF's ROLEAND TASKS

2

The FBF inBrusselsThe fact that the FBF maintains a permanentrepresentative office in Brussels shows howimportant French banks feel Europe is. Indeed,over 70% of the legislation that determinehow banking is conducted in France is nowmade in Brussels.This also shows that the FBFintends to play an active role in building asingle European market for banking andfinancial services.

The FBF's presence in Brussels enables it tomaintain direct contact with many keystakeholders and policymakers, such as themain European institutions (EU Commission,Parliament and Council), European bankingfederations and consumer groups.

The FBF's experts closely monitor the majorEuropean banking issues.They represent theFBF in the working groups of the EuropeanBanking Federation (FBE) and work to unifythe thinking and positions of the Europeanbanking industry.

The FBF's regional activitiesThe FBF is active throughout France with 21regional committees and 88 local ordepartmental committees. Chaired by localbankers, these committees give the bankingindustry a forum for dialogue.They also exercisemandates in various departments at prefecturesand various national and local governmentagencies, the French business confederationMEDEF and educational institutions.

These committees support the FBF's action inlocal communities and promote the role ofbanking and banks in society.This essentiallyinvolves:

● Introducing young people to careeropportunities in banking and helping thembetter understand how banks work.

● Strengthening ties with social organisationsand associations, consumers, and in particularwith the most disadvantaged members ofsociety.

● Promoting business creation and develop-ment, particularly that of small to medium-sized firms.This includes partnerships withentrepreneur aid agencies and consular bodies.

"Banks, My Bank and Me" : an originalinitiative to teach young people about moneyand banking.

Initially launched in Strasbourg in 2004, by FBF'sBas-Rhin departmental committee and the localboard of education, the "Banks, My Bank andMe" programme was taken to Bordeaux inNovember 2005, where a contest was organisedat the suggestion of local educators. As high-school students compete against each other toanswer three questions (What are banks for,how are their services used, and what do banksdo?), they learn about the practical aspects ofbanking. Over 1500 students in Strasbourg andover 1900 in the Bordeaux area from a total of130 high-schools took part in this learningexperience. In 2006, the programme will move tothe regions of Haute-Normandie, PACA andBasse-Normandie.

The FBF's main contacts in Brussels

● At the Commission – officials at the Internal Market,Competition and Consumer DGs

● In Parliament – MEPs responsible for presenting the keydirectives affecting the banking industry and those involved infinancial services

● European banking associations (FBE, ESBG and EACB) andbanking associations in EU member states

● Officials in France's permanent EU representation office

● Representatives of European consumer organisations (BEUC)

● etc.

3

Les clés de labanque:information andsecurity Through its Banking Information Centre (BIC),the FBF provides practical information thathelps everyone use banking services moreeffectively.

Whenever possible, this information isprovided directly to the public on the FBF'swebsite at wwwwww..lleesscclleessddeellaabbaannqquuee..ccoomm and ina series of "mini-guides" that deal with variousbanking subjects of general interest.

However, when it comes to money, somepeople need more assistance than others.Thisis why the BIC has developed relations withvarious social aid organisations that assist themost disadvantaged members of society.

The lleesscclleessddeellaabbaannqquuee..ccoomm website receivedover 447700,,000000 visits in 2005, with approximately22..55 mmiilllliioonn ppaaggeess vviieewweedd.

Prepared by the FBF, these mini-guides aredistributed by the BIC, the FBF's regionalcommittees, branch networks and associations.More than 20 mini-guides have already beenpublished as well as two special publications:

● A glossary of common banking operations

● Guide to account closure and transfer –competition between banks

THE EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE on January 1, 2006The founding members of the FBF are ex-officiomembers of the Executive Committee.They arerepresented on a permanent basis by adesignated individual who must be either theChairman or the Chief Executive Officer.

4

COMMISSIONSAND COMMITTEESThe FBF's Executive Committee has set up threeCommissions and five Technical Committees,appointed their chairmen and specified theirorganisational rules.The role of the Commissionsis to examine technical banking issues and makeproposals.When these proposals concern thebanking industry as a whole, they are submittedto the Executive Committee for review.

Baudouin PROTFBF ChairmanDirector and Chief Executive Officer BNP Paribas

Charles MILHAUDFBF vice-chairmanChairman of the Executive Board, Caisse Nationaledes Caisses d'Epargne et de Prévoyance

Etienne PFLIMLINFBF TreasurerChairman of the Confédération Nationaledu Crédit Mutuel

Daniel BOUTONChairman and CEO Société Générale

Philippe DUPONTChairman Banque Populaire Group

Pierre RICHARDChairman Supervisory Board, Dexia Crédit Local

Ariane OBOLENSKYFBF Chief Executive Officer

Retail Banking and Direct BankingCommissionChairman: Georges PAUGETChief Executive Officer, Crédit Agricole SA

Risk Control and Prudential BankingCommissionChairman: Philippe DUPONTChairman Banque Populaire Group

Investment Banking and Capital MarketsCommissionChairman: Michel PEBEREAUChairman, BNP Paribas

Accounting CommitteeChairman: Gérard GILChief Accounting Officer, BNP Paribas

Tax CommitteeChairman: Patrick SUETDeputy Corporate Secretary, Société Générale

Legal CommitteeChairman: Jean-Louis GUILLOTHead of Legal Affairs, BNP Paribas

Money-laundering Prevention CommiteeChairman: Gilles GUITTONChairman of the Board,Groupement des Cartes Bancaires “CB”

Payment Management CommitteeChairman: Philippe CITERNEChief Executive Officer, Société Générale

Georges PAUGETChief Executive Officer Crédit Agricole SA

5

*Source: Commission Bancaire -- data to June 2005.

La Banque Postale, which joined the FBF in February 2006,is not included in the above figures.

500banking firms

26 300permanent branches

400 000employees,

representing 1.6% of the French working populationand France’s 3rd largest private-sector employer

48million

customers

60million

current accounts

1150billion

euros of loans*

1032billion

euros in deposits*

12billion

payment transactionsprocessed each year

39 000ATMs

3%of GDP

FBF BANKSKEY FIGURES...

Banking Business and ResearchPierre de Lauzun

Systems and means of paymentBernard Dutreuil

Retail banking and Direct banking Françoise Palle-Guillabert

Investment banking and Capital marketsJean Tricou

Banking and Accounting supervisionSylvie Grillet-Brossier

TaxationPierre Reynier

Legal affairs Annie Bac

Human resources, Finance and IT managementSuzel Berthelet

General servicesMichel Bonnet

AFBSocial affairs

Jean-Claude Guéry

Professional trainingOlivier Robert de Massy

General affairs, Human resources and Internalmanagement

6

Information and External RelationsValérie Ohannessian

AFB Export

European and International AffairsJean-François Pons

In BrusselsPascale Brien

European Relations

In Paris Hubert d’Étigny

International relations Estelle Brack

Ariane OBOLENSKYChief Executive Officer

Banking Information CentreLes clés de la banque

Philippe Caplet

Information, press & publicationsColette Cova

Communication, member services,regional activities

Corinne Delatour

7

Political and Parliament relationsSéverine de Compreignac

Frédérique Cayron

Security advisor Gérard Girel

8

Some 35,000 people consult the FBF's websiteat www.fbf.fr each month and about 5,000people subscribe to the monthly newsletter orpress releases.

Each month the FBF's paper "Actualitébancaire" takes an in-depth look at a majorissue affecting the banking industry.Thispaper is free for subscribers and can also bedownloaded at the FBF website at fbf.fr.

Keeping membersinformedThe FBF organises from 20 to 25 meetingseach year to provide information to bankemployees who do not participate in acommission or committee.These meetings give over 4,000 bankers anopportunity to meet with specialists and askquestions.

SOME MEETING THEMES IN 2005

■ Customer relations: new measures to beimplemented in 2005

■ Internal control – new regulations and bestpractice

■ Finance and sustainable development –responsible communication and employeeawareness

■ IFRS reporting for European banks –importance and initial experience

■ SEPA cards framework and implementationby French banks

■ Internet fraud – Personal data theft.Protecting against new fraud techniques

FBF AFFILIATEDENTITIES THE FRENCH BANKINGORGANISATION ANDSTANDARDISATION COMMITTEE(CFONB)

Created in 1930, this body governs thestandardisation and organisation of bankingactivities in France. It is authorised to act as astandards bureau of AFNOR (Frenchstandards association). Its scope ofcompetence extends to the standardisation ofmeans of payment, the organisation ofexchange systems, the standardisation of"bank/customer" exchanges, andstandardisation in the areas of marketablesecurities, security, certification, etc.

REVUE BANQUE GROUP

This group is structured around three majorpoles of activity: 1) magazines and periodicals(Banque magazine, Banque & Stratégie, Banque& Droit, Banque & Marchés); 2) “ClubBanque”, monthly conferences; and 3)publishing, with a broad range of publicationsaimed at banking professionals or broadercategories such as students, teachers,researchers, businesses, etc.

OPCA-BANQUES

A joint fund-raising body accredited by theFrench Banking Association, OPCA-Banques'has three main functions: collecting trainingfund contributions; advising banks in the areaof training; and allocating funding for banktraining initiatives.

AFB the FrenchBankingAssociation

The AFB is a founding member of the FBF andsits on the Executive Committee where itmainly represents small and medium-sizedbanks and foreign banks established in France.Today, the AFB is the professional body thatoversees the social aspects of the collectivelabour agreement of January 2000 forcommercial banks and the Banque PopulaireGroup.

A new version of the AFB's website (www.afb.fr) was laun-ched in May 2005. It deals only with social matters, withinthe scope of the collective labour agreement.

This brochure was designed and created by the Information and External Relations department of the French Banking Federation18, rue La Fayette 75440 Paris cedex 09Tel.: +33 (0)1 48 00 52 52 – Fax: +33 (0)1 42 46 76 40www.fbf.fr - www.lesclesdelabanque.com

Drafting completed on January 31, 2005Printing completed in March 2006

Registration: Q1 2006, ISSN pending.

Graphic Design: Ideodis Création13, Rue de l’Abbaye 75006 Paris

FEDERATIONBANCAIREFRANCAISE