(4) for at det indre marked kan gennemføres fuldt ud og fungere tilfredsstillende på det finansielle område, er det vigtigt at beskytte investorerne og opretholde tilliden til det finansielle system; det er derfor af afgørende betydning, at alle medlemsstater råder over en investorgarantiordning, som sikrer en harmoniseret minimumsbeskyttelse, der i det mindste dækker mindre investorer, hvis et investeringsselskab ikke er i stand til at indfri sine forpligtelser over for sine investorkunder;
(4) Whereas the protection of investors and the maintenance of confidence in the financial system are an important aspect of the completion and proper functioning of the internal market in this area; whereas to that end it is therefore essential that each Member State should have an investor-compensation scheme that guarantees a harmonized minimum level of protection at least for the small investor in the event of an investment firm being unable to meet its obligations to its investor clients;