Article 322-39 into force since 19 April 2013

Custody account-keepers shall ensure compliance with the provisions which are applicable to them, as well as compliance by the persons placed under their authority or acting on their behalf, with the provisions applicable to custody account-keepers themselves and to these persons.

For this purpose, they shall designate an audit manager who, at custody account-keepers which are investment service providers, is a compliance officer for the investment services.

The audit manager shall have the authority, resources and expertise necessary and access to all relevant information. He/she shall not be involved in the execution of the operations which he/she audits.

He/she shall ensure the quality of the procedures specific to the custody account-keeping activity and the reliability of the internal controls and management tools.

He/she shall have access to regularly-updated documentation describing the organisation of the departments, the operational procedures and all the risks incurred as a result of the custody account-keeping activity.

He/she should be held to consult the principal reporting systems and shall be an addressee of the files of anomalies and complaints made by clients or professional partners, relating in particular to any malfunctions and any failures in ethical business practices.