France's Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) published a supervisory reminder to crowdfunding service providers (PSFP) following a rise in investor reports and alerts, setting out what firms must have in place to handle complaints and what information they must provide to complainants. The AMF pointed to a combined framework under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2117 and AMF instruction-recommendation DOC-2012-07. Providers must maintain written, effective and transparent procedures with formal, traceable follow-up, give clear information on how to submit complaints (including available formats and indicative processing times), acknowledge receipt within a maximum of 10 business days, and keep clients informed of progress and any revised expected timelines. Complaints must be examined diligently and answered with a clear, case-specific and reasoned response within a reasonable time that cannot exceed two months from the complaint being sent; clients must also be informed about available recourse, including the option to refer the matter to the competent mediator. The AMF noted that failures such as not acknowledging or responding, not providing status updates or expected timelines, or omitting recourse information may amount to breaches of applicable professional obligations, and that professional secrecy does not remove the obligation to process complaints. The AMF said it will remain particularly attentive to compliance with these requirements in its supervisory work, consistent with its Impact 2027 strategic plan and its published 2026 supervisory priorities.

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