THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to 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 Article 27.1 thereof,
Having regard to the Recommendation of the European Central Bank of 8 September 2017 to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of Národná banka Slovenska (ECB/2017/27),
Whereas:
(1)
The accounts of the European Central Bank (ECB) and of the national central banks of the Member States whose currency is the euro are to be audited by independent external auditors recommended by the ECB's Governing Council and approved by the Council of the European Union.
(2)
The mandate of Národná banka Slovenska's current external auditors, Ernst & Young Slovakia, spol. s r.o., ended after the audit for the financial year 2016. It is therefore necessary to appoint external auditors for Národná banka Slovenska from the financial year 2017.
(3)
Národná banka Slovenska has selected Deloitte Audit s.r.o. as its external auditors for the financial years 2017 to 2020, with an option to extend the mandate to the financial years 2021 to 2023.
(4)
The Governing Council of the ECB has recommended that Deloitte Audit s.r.o. should be appointed as the external auditors of Národná banka Slovenska for the financial years 2017 to 2020.
(5)
Following the recommendation of the Governing Council of the ECB, Council Decision 1999/70/EC should be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: