Autorité des marchés financiers

The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) is the regulatory body in France responsible for overseeing and supervising the country's financial markets.

Founded in 2003, the AMF was created through the merger of the Commission des opérations de bourse (COB), the Conseil des marchés financiers (CMF), and the Conseil de discipline de la gestion financière (CDGF).

The main objective of the AMF is to protect investors, maintain orderly financial markets, and foster transparency and integrity within the French financial system.

The agency accomplishes this through various methods, including:

• Regulating financial products, participants, and services: The AMF ensures that financial instruments and services adhere to applicable rules and regulations, while also monitoring the behavior of market participants such as investment firms, asset managers, and financial intermediaries.
• Supervising market infrastructure: The AMF oversees the functioning of regulated markets, multilateral trading facilities (MTFs), and organized trading facilities (OTFs) to guarantee their smooth and fair operation.
• Enforcing compliance with rules and regulations: The AMF investigates potential violations of financial regulations and can impose penalties on entities or individuals found to be in breach of these rules.
• Educating and informing investors: The AMF offers resources and information to assist investors in making informed decisions and understanding the risks associated with various financial products and services.
• Developing and implementing financial regulations: The AMF plays a role in the creation of national, European, and international financial regulations, ensuring their enforcement within the French financial system.