European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma)
Esma probes blurry line between FX vendors and venues
Forex liquidity aggregators resemble trading platforms – but are not regulated as such, critics charge
Esma proposal may limit short-selling
Reporting requirement would bar securities without LEIs from being used in financing transactions
EU banks seek last-minute margin reprieve for equity options
European dealers want exemption rolled over, to avoid handing US firms a regulatory advantage
Regulators plan to delay IM ‘big bang’ – market sources
Most see final phase of initial margin rules coming a year later, in September 2021
Mortgages, auto loans find a home in new EU securitisations
Esma listed 23 public STS securitisations as of July 1
Swaps counterparties spooked by Emir position pairing
Stumble on voluntary position reporting could undermine push to reform ETD regime
Resented elsewhere, Mifid finds love at Esma
Huge cache of data helped Esma spot market abuse and inform policy, head of market data policy says
Mifid transparency regime snares illiquid bonds
Banks and lobbyists call on EC to remove emerging market bonds from real-time transparency
US parries EU jab on CCP oversight
CFTC’s Pan questions Esma’s “very complex” test; EC’s Pearson calls it “more intelligent” than US’s
Brexit nudges Trad-X swaps service to Paris
London loses out on planned dealer-to-client Clob for OTC euro interest rate swaps
Esma takes flak over vague CCP enhanced supervision plans
JP Morgan calls for more quantitative thresholds for determining systemic foreign CCPs
Some see Esma reining in position limits after review
The scope of position limits could shrink to cover just the major benchmarks, one executive argues
Emergency docs: funds rush to meet EU’s revised Emir rules
Isda asks for six-month extension as previously exempt funds hit with margin requirements
AMF’s Ophèle: we need to change EU swaps trading mandate
French regulator urges EU to avoid conflicting rules, adopt principles-based approach after Brexit
Buy side bemoans gaps in EU benchmark register
Missing detail in approved index list could undermine compliance with new benchmarks regulation, investors warn
No more delays on Mifid open access, EU regulator says
European authority confirms July 2020 start date, reigniting argument over market stability versus competition
Counterparty risk, EU securitisation and Emir problems
The week on Risk.net, April 27–May 3, 2019
EU’s new securitisation market stumbles at the starting gate
Lack of single supervisory authority is hampering EU efforts to create new markets
Data reveals Emir swaps report matching rates at 40%
Figure is better than some feared, but still calls into question the value of dual-sided reporting
No-deal Brexit could force European swaps trading to US venues
Lack of equivalence between UK and EU regimes would create “conflicting obligations” for large dealers
Into the void: Europe’s new but hazy securitisation market
Regulatory vagueness reaches new heights as incomplete rules take effect
Confusion dogs start of Europe’s new securitisation rules
Incomplete rules and lack of clarity on designated supervisors thwarts hoped-for revival of key market
Funds ring alarm on EU guidelines for liquidity stress-testing
Managers could be forced to use multiple methods to stress-test large number of funds every quarter
New EU rules threaten to lock out US prop traders
Revisions to Mifid equivalence make opaque demands requiring “psychic abilities”, warn lawyers