Principals and senior representatives of authorities responsible for the regulation of the over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets in Australia, Brazil, the European Union, Hong Kong, Japan, Ontario, Québec, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States met on 20 September 2013 at the headquarters of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in Paris.  The Principals and representatives include:  ·         Steven Maijoor, Chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA); ·         Greg Medcraft, Chairman of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission; ·         Leonardo Pereira, Chairman of the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (Brazil); ·         Patrick Pearson, Acting Director at the European Commission; ·         Ashley Alder, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission; ·         Masamichi Kono, Vice-Commissioner of the Japan Financial Services Agency; ·         Howard Wetston, Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission; ·         Anne Héritier Lachat, Chair of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority; ·         Gary Gensler, Chairman of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission; ·         Mary Jo White, Chair of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; ·         Chuan Teck Lee, Assistant Managing Director at the Monetary Authority of Singapore; ·         Louis Morisset, President and CEO, l’Autorité des marchés financiers du Québec.  The Principals discussed generally: the application of clearing requirements to foreign branches and affiliates; risk mitigation techniques for non-centrally cleared derivatives transactions, such as timely confirmation, portfolio reconciliation, portfolio compression, valuation and dispute resolution; the need to co-operate in the implementation of internationally agreed standards on margin for non-centrally cleared derivatives transactions; co-operation on equivalence and substituted compliance assessments among the relevant authorities; and co-operation between authorities in the supervision of registered foreign entities;  The Principals agreed to meet again in February to continue the discussion of the above points.

ESMA registers DDRL, KDPW, Regis-TR, and UnaVista as trade repositories The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has approved today the registrations of the first four trade repositories (TRs) under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). The following entities are registered as TRs for the European Union (EU):   DTCC Derivatives Repository Ltd. (DDRL), based in the United Kingdom; Krajowy Depozyt Papierów Wartosciowych S.A. (KDPW), based in Poland; Regis-TR S.A., based in Luxembourg; and UnaVista Ltd, based in the United Kingdom. Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said: “Registering the first European trade repositories is an important component in making derivative markets more transparent and resilient. TRs play a fundamental role in the surveillance of derivatives markets and in risk monitoring. The data gathered by TRs will enable regulators to identify and reduce the risks associated with derivative markets. “ESMA’s TR supervision will ensure more robust market infrastructures and benefit investors, fi-nancial markets and the economy as a whole. Trade reporting to start mid-February TRs are commercial firms that centrally collect and maintain the records of derivatives contracts reported to them. The registration of these TRs means that they can be used by the counterparties to a derivative transaction to fulfil their trade reporting obligations under EMIR. The registrations will take effect on 14 November 2013, with the reporting obligation beginning on 12 February 2014, i.e. 90 calendar days after the official registration date. The registered TRs cover all derivative asset classes –commodities, credit, foreign exchange, equity, interest rates and others – irrespective of whether the contracts are traded on or off exchange. ESMA now assumes supervisory responsibility for the TRs who must continue to comply, on an on-going basis, with the regulatory requirements set out under EMIR. ESMA is currently processing further TR applications. Press release ref. 2013/1629

The European Securities and Markets Authority has published its Technical Advice 2013/evaluating the impact of the Regulation on short selling and certain aspects of credit default swaps (Regulation) on European financial markets. Press release Final Report 2013/614—ESMA‘s technical advice on the evaluation of the Regulation (EU) 236/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on short selling and certain aspects of credit default swaps

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has today issued final draft regulatory technical standards (RTS) for the central clearing of Interest Rate Swaps (IRS) which it is required to develop under the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). The RTS define those types of IRS contracts which will have to be centrally cleared, the types of counterparties covered by the obligation and the dates by which central clearing of IRS will become mandatory for them.