Supervisory Policy and Legal Expertise division
The Supervisory Policy and Legal Expertise division employs a range of specialist teams in the areas of International Affairs, Regulation, Legal and Compliance.
International Affairs
The International Affairs section is the hub of FINMA’s international activities. In addition to the management and coordination of international bodies and maintaining contact with foreign supervisory authorities and relevant EU organisations, this section is also responsible for the negotiation of international agreements and the coordination and organisation of mutual evaluations.
Regulation
The Regulation section is responsible for managing, reviewing and developing the areas of financial market regulation relevant for FINMA and the coordination of ongoing FINMA regulatory projects. It is responsible for drafting new regulations at FINMA ordinance and circular level in close coordination and cooperation with the divisions concerned.
Legal and Compliance
As the authority’s central legal function, the Legal and Compliance section manages all legal issues affecting FINMA itself, including data protection, contract and procurement law. It is also responsible for coordinating the uniform application of financial market laws by the divisions. Besides this, the section is responsible for implementing the code of conduct and internal directives. It is also responsible for the FINMA-wide appointment of audit and investigating agents and the application process for potential mandataries. In addition, Legal and Compliance is responsible for liability procedures against FINMA submitted to the State Liability Committee.
The Supervisory Policy and Legal Expertise division lays the foundations for FINMA’s proactive and purposeful action at international level and contributes to FINMA’s image as a respected and reliable partner for foreign authorities. It contributes FINMA’s expertise to the processes for enacting higher-level legislation and implements this in its own regulatory activities in line with FINMA’s mandate. Finally, it ensures compliance with the law applicable to FINMA.
