On January 18, 2016, the ESRB published a report on the systemic risk implications of CCP interoperability arrangements which are governed by EMIR. There are currently five interoperable links in operation in the EU, including four authorized EU CCPs, a Swiss CCP and its Norwegian branch. The ESRB considers that the EU's current regulatory framework for interoperability is sound. However, the ESRB recommends that: (i) more regulatory granularity should be included in the framework to provide clarity for supervisors and regulators, to avoid regulatory arbitrage and to ensure a harmonized EU approach; (ii) the expected proposed legislation on CCP recovery and resolution should clarify the interaction of an interoperability arrangement with the default waterfall framework as well as portability and other default management measures; (iii) further analysis of the risks involved in interoperable arrangements for derivatives should be carried out; and (iv) the ESRB should be given a consultative role on the future development of any guidelines and rules on interoperability. ESMA recommended in February 2015 that the interoperability provisions in EMIR, which are limited to transferable securities and money-market instruments, should not be extended to OTC derivatives but could be extended to Exchange-Traded Derivatives. The European Commission must take the ESRB and ESMA reports into account when it prepares its report to the European Parliament and Council on the issue.
The ERSB report is available at: http://www.esrb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/2016-01-14_Interoperability_report.pdf1df2a4ba465726ea9a9077fb61940c34
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.