EC Deems UK Framework for CCPs Temporarily Equivalent to EMIR Rules
EC adopted a decision determining, for a limited period of time, that the regulatory framework applicable to central counterparties, or CCPs, in the UK and Northern Ireland is equivalent to the requirements laid down in the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR or Regulation 648/2012). The Decision (2020/1308) shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Decision shall apply from January 01, 2021 and expire on June 30, 2022. In a separate statement, BoE welcomed the adoption of this equivalence decision on the future UK legal and supervisory framework for central counterparties.
BoE states that this decision will allow European authorities to finalize the remaining steps for recognition of UK central counterparties. This will enable UK central counterparties to continue to provide clearing services to their EU members and EU banks to continue meet their obligations to UK central counterparties. In the UK, HM Treasury and BoE have already put in place a temporary recognition regime for non-UK central counterparties. From January 01, 2021, this will enable EU central counterparties to continue to provide services in the UK. As part of the recognition process, BoE and ESMA have agreed on an updated Memoranda of Understanding regarding cooperation and information-sharing arrangements with respect to central counterparties. The MoU also takes effect from January 01, 2021.
The EC decision is intended to give financial market participants 18 months to reduce their exposure to UK central counterparties. The heavy reliance of the EU financial system on services provided by UK-based central counterparties raises important issues related to financial stability and requires the scaling down of EU exposures to these infrastructures. Therefore, EC strongly encourages the industry to work together in developing strategies that will reduce their reliance on UK central counterparties that are systemically important for EU. On January 01, 2021, UK will leave the Single Market and this temporary equivalence decision is intended to protect financial stability in EU.
Related Links
Keywords: Europe, EU, UK, Banking, Securities, Brexit, CCPs, OTC Derivatives, Systemic Risk, Equivalence Regime, EMIR, Decision 2020/1308
Featured Experts

María Cañamero
Skilled market researcher; growth strategist; successful go-to-market campaign developer

Pierre-Etienne Chabanel
Brings expertise in technology and software solutions around banking regulation, whether deployed on-premises or in the cloud.

Nicolas Degruson
Works with financial institutions, regulatory experts, business analysts, product managers, and software engineers to drive regulatory solutions across the globe.
Related Articles
FED Revises Capital Planning and Stress Testing Requirements for Banks
FED finalized a rule that updates capital planning requirements to reflect the new framework from 2019 that sorts large banks into categories, with requirements that are tailored to the risks of each category.
ECB Releases Results of Bank Lending Survey for Fourth Quarter of 2020
ECB published results of the quarterly lending survey conducted on 143 banks in the euro area.
ESAs Publish Reporting Templates for Financial Conglomerates
ESAs published the final draft implementing technical standards on reporting of intra-group transactions and risk concentration of financial conglomerates subject to the supplementary supervision in EU.
EBA Publishes Report on Asset Encumbrance of Banks in EU
EBA published the annual report on asset encumbrance of banks in EU.
MAS Revises Guidelines on Technology Risk Management
MAS revised the guidelines that address technology and cyber risks of financial institutions, in an environment of growing use of cloud technologies, application programming interfaces, and rapid software development.
US Agencies Publish Updates for Call Reports, FFIEC 101, and FR Y-9C
FED updated the reporting form and instructions for the FR Y-9C report on consolidated financial statements for holding companies.
EBA Proposes Guidelines for Establishing Intermediate Parent Entities
EBA issued a consultation paper on the guidelines on monitoring of the threshold and other procedural aspects of the establishment of intermediate EU parent undertakings, or IPUs, as laid down in the Capital Requirements Directive.
EC Adopts Financial Reporting Changes Arising from Benchmark Reforms
EC published Regulation 2021/25 that addresses amendments related to the financial reporting consequences of replacement of the existing interest rate benchmarks with alternative reference rates.
BIS Bulletin Examines Key Elements of Policy Response to Cyber Risk
BIS published a bulletin, or a note, that examines the cyber threat landscape in the context of the pandemic and discusses policies to reduce risks to financial stability.
HMT Updates List of Post-Brexit Equivalence Decisions in UK
HM Treasury, also known as HMT, has updated the table containing the list of the equivalence decisions that came into effect in UK at the end of the transition period of its withdrawal from EU.