AMFAutorité des Marchés Financiers

The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) is the independent public authority responsible for supervising and regulating the financial markets in France.

The AMF was established in 2003 and has a mission to increase trust in the economic system, protect investors, ensure markets operate fairly and transparently, and protect savings. The independence of the AMF - legal, financial, and operational - is crucial for making public interest decisions free from external constraints.

The AMF is a regulator and protector, monitoring financial products, market infrastructures, listed companies, investment firms, and providers of digital assets. The aim is to ensure that all contributors to the economic marketplace act responsibly and that investors have sufficient information to make informed decisions.

Key mandates and areas of action

The AMF elements of mandate engage with a broad range of activities related to promoting and maintaining stability, integrity, and transparency of the financial ecosystem in France. The AMF's primary functions are:

• Regulating financial markets to ensure orderly trading,

• Authorizing and supervising financial intermediaries, like investment firms, asset managers, and advisers,

• Monitoring the conduct and reporting for listed companies,

• Overseeing collective investment products (mutual funds, exchange-traded funds),

• Regulating token issuers and digital asset service providers (DASPs) (i.e., cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings (ICOs)).

By regulating such a diverse group of actors, the AMF helps to ensure that the components of the financial markets operate fairly and transparently within the market.

Investor Protection is Central

The confidence of investors is the foundation of the AMF's mission.To ensure this, the authority verifies that the savings invested in financial products are secure and that all publicly available information provided to investors is clear, accurate, and complete.

When facing disputes or hardship, the AMF offers a financial ombudsperson service to help resolve disputes equitably and efficiently. This commitment to protecting retail investors solidifies the AMF as stewards of the economic system in France.

Shaping the Future of Finance

The AMF's obligations extend beyond national levels; it also plays a vital role at European and international levels.As financial markets have become increasingly interconnected, there has been a growing call for standardized global supervision.Regulators are now presenting a collective voice concerning European regulation.

Each year, the AMF publishes its strategic priorities, which take into account emerging trends and challenges in the financial sector. As the AMF planned activities in the annual priority document last published for 2025, their context is set out with several goals:

• Reinforcing the investor protection agenda and financing according to savers' expectations,

• Supporting the transition to sustainable finance - and providing transparency on the environmental and social effects,

• Encouraging and supporting innovation with oversight to preserve market integrity,

• Reinforcing and making France a leading financial center in Europe,

• Strengthening the platform for European and international regulators' collective action on regulatory issues.

A Commitment to Sustainable Finance

The AMF has member organisations that agreed with the urgency of climate and environmental realities and are embedding corporate social responsibility (CSR) into all its policies and daily business. The AMF is monitoring how financial institutions and management companies explain their actions in light of climate change, striking a balance between credibility and transparent disclosures about sustainability.

Through its use of supervisory power, the AMF works to establish a framework that promotes sustainable investments and supports a sustainable economy, while respecting longer-term societal and environmental interests in the context of financial performance.

Values that drive the AMF

Three fundamental values that underpin the AMF's work include:

• Independence: all decisions are made independently and in the best interest of citizens,

• Openness: the AMF is engaged with the changes to society, economy, and technology while being tethered to Europe,

• Commitment: the teams show their commitment and harness their motivation/motivation competency around expertise and professionalism to deliver effective regulation with investor protection.

Supporting Innovation in Financial Markets

As financial actors continue to evolve and welcome developments in digital assets, fintech solutions, and the use of tokenized products, the AMF is a key player in establishing regulatory frameworks that foster innovation. To sustain innovation while providing robust regulation, the AMF utilizes its authority to ensure secure, competitive, and trustworthy financial markets.