Integrity

An impeccable reputation is vital for us as an organisation. We depend on the trust of consumers and supervised entities. Without their trust, we have no right to exist. In making choices and dealing with dilemmas, we are guided by our core values – ‘thorough and decisive’, ‘autonomous and connective’. These values help us to be the professional, expert, discreet and ethical supervisor that we aim to be.

To safeguard its own integrity, the AFM has a compliance function anchored both in its statutes and in a charter. This function reports directly to the chair of the executive board and has a direct line to the chair of the supervisory board. The compliance function’s activities include risk analysis, awareness/training, monitoring, and internal enforcement. The compliance officer reports annually in the AFM’s annual report. The AFM also has several confidential advisors.

Individuals who have had, currently have, or will soon have a work-related relationship with the AFM can report (suspected) wrongdoings, integrity violations, or undesirable behaviour.

Code of conduct and integrity policy

The AFM has a code of conduct and an integrity policy that includes all compliance-related regulations. It is not enough to say that we act professionally, knowledgeably, discreetly, and with integrity. We must truly embody these qualities. We must act accordingly. Our image and reputation are largely shaped by how we express ourselves, behave, and perform our duties—regardless of our role or position, even in our private time. In short: we say what we do and we do what we say. Our credibility and integrity are the foundation of our existence. The AFM Code of Conduct and the supplementary integrity policy apply to everyone working for the AFM in any capacity, whether permanent or temporary.

The AFM Code of Conduct addresses, among other things, the prevention of (the appearance of) conflicts of interest regarding incompatible activities, private investments, benefits, and cooling-off periods. The supplementary AFM integrity policy includes the following regulations:

• The regulation on private investments
• The screening regulation
• The regulation on reporting apparent or suspected wrongdoings, violations of integrity, and undesirable behaviour
• The regulation on integrity investigations
• The regulation on sanctions
• The regulation on complaints of undesirable behaviour