branch — a place of business which forms a legally dependent part of a credit institution and which conducts directly all or some of the operations inherent in the business of credit institutions; any number of branches set up in the same Member State by a credit institution which has its head office in another Member State shall be regarded as a single branch 5.

credit institution — an undertaking the business of which is to receive deposits or other repayable funds from the public and to grant credits for its own account 4.

deposit — any credit balance which results from funds left in an account or from temporary situations deriving from normal banking transactions and which a credit institution must repay under the legal and contractual conditions applicable, and any debt evidenced by a certificate issued by a credit institution. Shares in United Kingdom and Irish building societies apart from those of a capital nature covered in Article 2 shall be treated as deposits. Bonds which satisfy the conditions prescribed in Article 22 (4) of Council Directive 85/611/EEC of 20 December 1985 on the coordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (Ucits) OJ No L 375, 31. 12. 1985, p. 3. Directive as last amended by Directive 88/220/EEC (OJ No L 100, 19. 4. 1988, p. 31.). shall not be considered deposits. For the purpose of calculating a credit balance, Member States shall apply the rules and regulations relating to set-off and counterclaims according to the legal and contractual conditions applicable to a deposit 1.

joint account — an account opened in the names of two or more persons or over which two or more persons have rights that may operate against the signature of one or more of those persons 2.

unavailable deposit — a deposit that is due and payable but has not been paid by a credit institution under the legal and contractual conditions applicable thereto, where either: the relevant competent authorities have determined that in their view the credit institution concerned appears to be unable for the time being, for reasons which are directly related to its financial circumstances, to repay the deposit and to have no current prospect of being able to do so. The competent authorities shall make that determination as soon as possible and at the latest 21 days after first becoming satisfied that a credit institution has failed to repay deposits which are due and payable; or a judicial authority has made a ruling for reasons which are directly related to the credit institution's financial circumstances which has the effect of suspending depositors' ability to make claims against it, should that occur before the aforementioned determination has been made 3.