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The BASEM pursues several objectives:

 

  1. It wishes to bring together all members of the Belgian stock exchange:
    • as a meeting place where members of the stock markets can get to know each other better and deepen their knowledge according to the topics covered by the Association;
    • as a forum for consultation to provide a better understanding of the sector’s needs and core tasks.
  2. It defends the interests of financial intermediaries:
    • by acting as interlocutor of the financial intermediaries with regard to various government bodies;
    • by ensuring that the specificities of Belgian intermediaries and their needs are respected.
  3. It strives to promote the stock market and venture capital.

History

The Belgian Association of Stock Exchange Members was set up in June 1995, under the impetus of Baron Michel de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck and Mr Herman De Decker, by a group of stockbrokers previously grouped together within the “Association des Jeunes Brokers de Belgique” (in English: “Association of Young Stockbrokers of Belgium”) and the “Beroepsvereniging van effectenmakelaars bij de Beurs van Antwerpen” (in English: “Professional Association of Stockbrokers at the Stock Exchange of Antwerp”).

In 1996, the statutes were amended to enable the other financial intermediaries (credit institutions) that are members of the Brussels Stock Exchange to join the Association.

Since 2002, authorized market players can become acceding members of the Association.

In March 2003, the BASE was one of the founders of Febelfin together with four other associations: the Professional Credit Association (in Dutch “Beroepsvereniging van het Krediet (BVK)”; in French: “l’Union Professionnelle du Crédit (UPC)”), the Belgian Asset Managers Association (BEAMA), the Belgian Leasing Association (in Dutch “Belgische Leasingvereniging (BLV)”; in French: “l’Association Belge de Leasing (ABL)”) and the Belgian Association of Banks and Stockbroking Firms (in Dutch “Belgische Vereniging van Banken en Beursvennootschappen (BVB)”; in French: “l’Association belge des Banques et des Sociétés de Bourse (ABB)”).

In 2005, the BASE merged with the Belgian Bankers’ Association (founded 1936) to create the Belgian Association of Banks and Stockbroking Firms. The task of this association is to defend the sector as a whole. However, both associations do not have the same statutes, as each association has its own relationship with the banks or the stockbroking firms. For this reason, the BASE has been able to retain its own competence, more specifically:

  • the participation of the stockbroking firms in the Protection Fund for Deposits and Financial Instruments (in Dutch “Beschermingsfonds voor deposito’s en financiële instrumenten”; in French “Fonds de protection des dépôts et instruments financiers”).
  • the participation of the stockbroking firms in Ombudsfin.

 

Download the articles of association here [(French/Dutch): ABMB Statutes

Target Audience

The Belgian Association of Stock Exchange Members addresses the stockbroking firms.

A stockbroking firm is understood to mean an investment firm governed by Belgian or foreign law, the activities of which consist in the performance of:

  • Investment services, notably:
    • The receipt and transmission of orders in relation to one or more financial instruments, including the bringing together of two or more investors to facilitate a transaction between them;
    • The execution of orders on behalf of clients;
    • Trading for own account;
    • Portfolio management;
    • Investment advice;
    • The underwriting of financial instruments and/or the placement of financial instruments with a firm commitment;
    • The investment of financial instruments without a firm commitment;
    • The exploitation of multilateral trading facilities;

and/or

  • ancillary services, notably:
    • Custody and management of financial instruments on behalf of clients, including custody and related services, such as cash and/or collateral management;
    • Granting of credits or loans to an investor to enable him/her to carry out a transaction involving one or more financial instruments, involving the company providing the credit or loan;
    • Providing advice to companies on capital structure, business strategy and related matters; consultancy and services in the field of mergers and acquisitions of companies;
    • Currency conversion services in the context of investment services;
    • Investment research and financial analysis or other forms of general recommendations related to transactions in financial instruments;
    • Underwriting services.

The stockbroking firms are subject to prudential supervision to ensure that the financial health of the stockbroking firms and of the financial system as a whole is not compromised. This supervision is exercised by the National Bank of Belgium.

When a stockbroking firm defaults or threatens to default and no alternative solution in the form of private sector financing appears to be possible, even if this is necessary in the public interest, the resolution of a stockbroking firm is aimed at towards an orderly liquidation of that stockbroking firm by means of specific powers conferred on the resolution authority, in this case the National Bank of Belgium.

The stockbroking firms are supervised by the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) with regard to compliance with the rules of conduct.