Banks and asset managers have pushed for more than a year to have many of their derivatives exempted from new European Union trading rules the industry says would send costs spiraling. Now they're on the verge of success.

The European Securities and Markets Authority has relaxed its proposal for determining when many common types of transactions must occur on trading platforms under new pre-trade transparency requirements that are expected to increase competition among dealers. ESMA, the EU's chief markets regulator, adopted a "more cautious approach" after industry groups said an earlier proposal was too far-reaching.

In draft rules published on Feb. 28, ESMA narrowed the criteria for when so-called package transactions, which could account for more than half of the market in interest-rate swaps and other types of derivatives, are considered liquid enough that they must meet the MiFID II rules that take effect on Jan. 3.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical Treasury & Risk information including in-depth analysis of treasury and finance best practices, case studies with corporate innovators, informative newsletters, educational webcasts and videos, and resources from industry leaders.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM and Treasury & Risk events.
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including PropertyCasualty360.com and Law.com.
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.