The EFPA Mission

The European Financial Planning Association (EFPA) is an organization which engages all levels of financial intermediary practitioners and relevant institutions by supporting their respective efforts to meet education and competence requirements established by European legislation and by stakeholders in the financial services sector. EFPA informs best professional practices to sector stakeholders and policy makers by:

• Setting and actively promoting professional standards and;
• Awarding certificates to practitioners who have achieved a standard of professional competence suitable to provide financial advisory services to clients.

The mission of the European Financial Planning Association is set and promote high quality standards of competence and ethical behaviour for the financial advisory sector throughout Europe, benefiting both the profession and clients.

EFPA will promote the EFPA European Financial Advisor ™ and EFPA European Financial Planner ™ professional certification marks as the most recognized, respected and highest quality available in Europe: we will continue to offer, nationally and Europe wide, the full range of financial advisory professional education programs and certification marks relevant to the Association’s fields of expertise and the sectors needs.

EFPA is steadfast in its goal to become the recognised register for financial advisors and financial planners in Europe.

EFPA aspires to increase professionalism in financial services in Europe by bringing together like-minded financial services practitioners under the auspices of a single independent and objective organisation.

EFPA is dedicated to the sustainable development of all financial Advisory professions in Europe.

EFPA, as a non-profit foundation, resolves to objectively manage the financial planning sector in Europe and, together with the assistance of Consumer Advocacy Groups and policy-making bodies, ensure the protection of both consumers and the profession as a whole.

EFPA's highest aspiration is to protect European financial services consumers and practitioners by ensuring the highest professional, educational, competence and ethical standards in personal financial planning and personal financial advising.

Achievements

• EFPA developed and put into operation, universal competence based educational curricula for program providers in Europe;
• EFPA developed and put into operation, universal EFPA European Financial Planner and EFPA European Financial Advisor continuing education programs;
• EFPA developed and put into operation, universal professional and ethical standards for practitioners in Europe;
• EFPA created a comprehensive website for dissemination of information about the Association and providing information to consumers;
• EFPA created a Europe wide register of EFPA certificate holders;
• EFPA successfully lobbied on a variety of issues for the benefit of our Affiliates, consumers and certified holders, at both national and European levels;
• EFPA established a Practitioner Advisory Committee to assist our Board, Standards and Qualifications Committee (SQC) and Management Team in understanding the needs and objectives of financial advisory practitioners;
• EFPA established the Standards and Qualifications Committee, the first independent, objective and transparent accrediting body for financial services standard setting in Europe;
• EFPA National Affiliates (represented by either Backing Partners or Affiliates staff) participated in the discussions respecting the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) financial planning standard.

and Specific Objectives:

• Developing financial planning and financial advising as full-fledged professions across Europe;
• Increasing the academic and professional body of theory and knowledge concerning financial services;
• EFPA earning official recognition for the oversight of financial planning and financial advising from national and/or European SROs, NGO and regulatory bodies;
• Advancing ethical behaviour as a hallmark of the financial planning and financial advising professions in Europe.
• Performing research in the fields of financial planning and financial advising and the related arts and sciences;
• Publishing literature, texts, periodicals and other materials relevant to financial planning and financial advising and the related arts and sciences;
• Ensuring that existing and emerging technology in the industry is understood and utilised and where possible assisting in the development of such technology;
• Organising conferences, seminars and other educational and promotional events in the field of financial planning and the related arts and sciences;
• Promoting and guarding EFPA Licensed Trademarks, Logos and Brand Names;
• Acting as an intermediary between all Affiliates, academic institutions, European stakeholders, and the financial services sector, as a hub of knowledge exchange and technical expertise in all fields of financial planning and financial advising.