An investment firm as defined in Article 4(1), point (1), of Directive 2014/65/EU:
- 'investment firm' means any legal person whose regular occupation or business is the provision of one or more investment services to third parties and/or the performance of one or more investment activities on a professional basis.
- Member States may include in the definition of investment firms undertakings which are not legal persons, provided that:
- (a) their legal status ensures a level of protection for third parties' interests equivalent to that afforded by legal persons; and
- (b) they are subject to equivalent prudential supervision appropriate to their legal form.
- However, where a natural person provides services involving the holding of third party funds or transferable securities, that person may be considered to be an investment firm for the purposes of this Directive and of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 only if, without prejudice to the other requirements imposed in this Directive, in Regulation (EU) No 600/2014, and in Directive 2013/36/EU, that person complies with the following conditions:
- (a) the ownership rights of third parties in instruments and funds must be safeguarded, especially in the event of the insolvency of the firm or of its proprietors, seizure, set-off or any other action by creditors of the firm or of its proprietors;
- (b) the firm must be subject to rules designed to monitor the firm's solvency and that of its proprietors;
- (c) the firm's annual accounts must be audited by one or more persons empowered, under national law, to audit accounts;
- (d) where the firm has only one proprietor, that person must make provision for the protection of investors in the event of the firm's cessation of business following the proprietor's death or incapacity or any other such event.
Defined in / by
Last updated: 22 August 2026.