I.-For the purposes of their registration in the register referred to in I of Article L. 512-1, insurance or reinsurance brokers, both individuals and companies registered in the Trade and Companies Register for the business of insurance brokerage, and their agents, both self-employed individuals and legal entities, shall join an approved professional association responsible for monitoring the business and providing support for its members. This representative professional association offers its members a mediation service, verifies the conditions of access to and exercise of their activity as well as their compliance with professional and organisational requirements and offers a service of support and observation of the activity and professional practices, in particular through the collection of statistical data.
Insurance brokers or brokerage companies or their agents exercising activities in France under the freedom to provide services or the freedom of establishment may also join an approved professional association mentioned in this I.
II.-The following persons are not subject to the obligation to join an approved professional association as provided for in I, including, where applicable, when they carry out insurance brokerage as an insurance intermediary agent:
1° Credit institutions and finance companies;
2° Portfolio management companies;
3° Investment firms;
4° General insurance agents registered under the same number in the register referred to in article L. 512-1.
The obligation to join an approved professional association provided for in I of this article does not apply to agents of insurance intermediaries acting pursuant to mandates issued by one of the persons mentioned in 1° to 3° of this II.