The Zertifikate Forum Austria (ZFA) was founded in April 2006 by the leading certificate issuers in Austria. The current members of the Forum are Raiffeisen Bank International AG, Erste Group, UniCredit Bank Austria and Vontobel. Supporting members include all the leading German-speaking stock exchanges for certificates – Wiener Börse AG, Börse Stuttgart, Börse Frankfurt Zertifikate AG, DADAT, flatexDEGIRO, Lucht Probst Association and gettex exchange, as well as the financial portal finanzen.net GmbH.
The ZFA is also a founding member of the European umbrella organisation eusipa, which represents the industry’s interests at European level.
The aim of the Zertifikate Forum Austria is to promote and develop the certificates market in Austria and to raise awareness of certificates. The Forum provides information on the advantages of certificates without concealing any potential risks. Furthermore, the association represents the sector’s regulatory and tax interests.
Increasing product and market transparency and establishing uniform standards are also stated objectives. This is being achieved through the first-ever statistical survey of the certificates market segment in terms of volume and outstanding amounts, through the creation of a clear and uniform product classification at European level, and through the publication of the ZFA Sustainability Code and an investor information leaflet. Furthermore, the Forum has established new standards for adviser training and examinations in Austria.