What is ACPR? ACPR Review, Features

The French Prudential Regulation Authority (ACPR) allows you to search for companies authorized to carry out banking activities, electronic money, financial services or payment services under the Monetary and Financial Regulation.

About the French Prudential Regulation Authority (ACPR)

In France, as in most other countries, to carry out banking activities, provide investment or payment services and issue and manage electronic money, companies need to be authorized by the French Banking Prudential Regulation Authority (ACPR).

This system is governed by the Monetary and Financial Act and is for several reasons, including the protection of the public and supervision of money and credit. The PRA can also revoke an authorisation if a firm ceases its activities or no longer complies with its authorisation conditions or undertakings or for disciplinary reasons.

What's included

The Register of Financial Agents (Regafi) lists all French or foreign companies that have been authorized by the ACPR to operate in France. It also lists agents of French payment institutions, operating in France or in other contracting states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

For non-French companies, the register shows whether the company carries out activities through its French branch or directly from its country of origin (under the freedom to provide services procedure reserved for EEA member state companies). However, the register does not list foreign payment institutions and e-money issuers operating in France through a branch, under the freedom to provide services, through an agent or through an e-money distributor.

In addition, the Register of Financial Agents lists companies authorized by the ACPR to carry out banking activities in Monaco. For each company registered with the ACPR, the Regafi register lists the banking activities, investment services and payment services it is authorized to carry out in France.

Information on the operating authorizations obtained by French companies in other European countries can be obtained by consulting the registers of the relevant national authorities. The latest website addresses of these authorities can be found on the website of the European Bank. For French payment and electronic money institutions operating abroad, their information can be found in the Regafi register (branches, operating under the freedom to provide services, agents for payment services, and national lists of designated dealers of electronic money institutions).

The authorisation of an institution is revoked when it becomes the subject of a decision of the ACPR to revoke its authorisation (either voluntarily, at its own request or in circumstances provided for by law), but is still authorised to operate within the framework of a transitional period during which it may perform banking activities or investment services strictly for the purpose of clearing accounts.