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.
