SQUAREDFINANCIAL

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) was established in accordance with section 5 of the Securities and Exchange Commission (Establishment and Responsibilities) Law of 2001 as a public legal entity. It is an independent public supervisory Authority responsible for the supervision of the investment services market, transactions in transferable securities carried out in the Republic of Cyprus and the collective investment and asset management sector. It also supervises the firms offering administrative services which do not fall under the supervision of ICPAC and the Cyprus Bar Association.

Prior to 2002, in Germany the regulation of the financial industry was undertaken by three separate agencies. In May 2002 BaFin was formed, following the passing of the Financial Services and Integration Act. The aim of the Act and the merging of the three agencies was to create one integrated financial regulator that would be able to cover all financial markets. The agencies that merged together were the Federal Banking Supervisory Office, the Federal Supervisory Office for Securities Trading, and the Federal Insurance Supervisory Office.BaFin was given further responsibility following the passing of the Banking Act in 2003 with the aim of increasing customer protection and improving the reputation of the German financial system. The extra powers included monitoring the credit-worthiness of financial institutions and collecting detailed information about them. This particular area of responsibility was shared with the Bundesbank. Currently, BaFin is experiencing a kind of transition, as the responsibility for banking supervision is being taken over by the European Central Bank.

The Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution（ACPR） is charged with preserving the stability of the financial system and protecting the customers, insurance policyholders, members and beneficiaries of the persons that it supervises.It is responsible for: issuing licences and authorisations as laid down in legislation and regulations;supervising compliance with rules designed to protect customers, whether these rules stem from legislation and regulations, codes of conduct approved at the request of a professional association or industry best practices that the Authority either observes or recommends,etc.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is a financial regulatory body in the United Kingdom, but operates independently of the UK Government, and is financed by charging fees to members of the financial services industry. On 19 December 2012, the Financial Services Act 2012 received royal assent, and it came into force on 1 April 2013. The Act created a new regulatory framework for financial services and abolished the Financial Services Authority. The FCA regulates financial firms providing services to consumers and maintains the integrity of the financial markets in the United Kingdom. It focuses on the regulation of conduct by both retail and wholesale financial services firms.

The Seychelles Financial Services Authority（FSA） is an autonomous regulatory body responsible for the non-bank financial services in Seychelles. Established under the Financial Services Authority Act, 2013, FSA is responsible for permitting and regulating licenses, enforcing regulatory and compliance requirements, monitoring and supervizing the conduct of business in the non-bank financial services sector in Seychelles. The regulated activities include fiduciary services, capital market & collective investment schemes, insurance, gambling. FSA is also responsible for the registration of international business companies, foundations, limited partnership and international trust in Seychelles.

The National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) is the body responsible for the supervision and inspection of Spanish securities markets and the activity of all those involved in them. The CNMV was created by Securities Market Law 24/1988, which represented a thorough reform of this segment of the Spanish financial system; and since then, its regime has been updated to adapt to the evolution of financial markets and to introduce new measures to protect investors.The aim of the CNMV is to ensure the transparency of Spanish securities markets and the correct formation of prices, as well as the protection of investors.