Brussels, 9 October 2026
The Council today formally appointed Carlo Comporti as chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Mr Comporti will take up the role on 1 November 2026. His term of office will run for a five-year period and may be extended once.
Mr Comporti is currently a commissioner at the Italian companies and stock exchange commission (CONSOB) and a member of ESMA’s board of supervisors and management board.
Background
To appoint a new chair, ESMA’s board of supervisors provided the Council with a shortlist of two candidates.
Following interviews with both candidates, EU ambassadors provisionally agreed on the appointment of Mr Comporti in July 2026.
The European Parliament, for its part, endorsed the appointment on 15 September.
ESMA is the European Union’s EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor. Its mission is to enhance investor protection and promote stable and orderly financial markets.
It does this through three strategic priorities: fostering effective markets and financial stability, strengthening supervision of EU financial markets, enhancing protection of retail investors, and two thematic drivers: enabling sustainable finance; and facilitating technological innovation and effective use of data.
ESMA achieves its mission within the European system of financial supervision through active cooperation with the European banking authority, the European insurance and occupational pensions authority, the European systemic risk board, and with national authorities with competencies in securities markets.
It regularly informs the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament of its activities.