rahoitusvalvonta

Rahoitusvalvonta, or financial supervision, is the system of oversight and regulation designed to ensure the stability, integrity, and proper conduct of financial markets and institutions. Its core aims are to protect consumers, safeguard market confidence, and mitigate risks that could affect the financial system as a whole. Rahoitusvalvonta covers licensing, ongoing supervision, enforcement, and the rules governing the operation of banks, insurance, investment services, pension schemes, and related markets and infrastructures.

In Finland, the primary national authority responsible for rahoitusvalvonta is Finanssivalvonta (FIN-FSA). It operates as a government agency, under the Ministry of Finance, and is charged with authorizing and supervising financial institutions and market participants. Its tasks include granting licenses, conducting on-site inspections and off-site reviews, monitoring compliance with laws and regulations, and taking supervisory or enforcement actions when needed. The FIN-FSA also oversees market conduct, consumer protection, anti-money laundering measures, and the orderly functioning of financial markets.

The scope of rahoitusvalvonta is broad, encompassing banks and credit institutions, payment and electronic money institutions, investment firms, asset managers, insurance and pension companies, investment funds, and key financial market infrastructures. In addition to national supervision, Finnish rahoitusvalvonta operates within the European and international framework, implementing EU financial regulations and cooperating with bodies such as ESMA, EBA, and EIOPA, as well as the Bank of Finland for macroprudential oversight.

Overall, rahoitusvalvonta seeks to maintain financial stability, protect investors and consumers, and promote fair and transparent markets through licensing, supervision, and coordinated action with domestic and international partners.