financial market infrastructures

ECB Publishes Eurosystem Oversight Report

On February 27, 2015, the European Central Bank (“ECB“) published its 2014 Eurosystem oversight report, the third such report, reviewing the oversight that the Eurosystem has performed in the period from 2011 to mid-2014.  The Eurosystem is the monetary authority of the Eurozone and consists of the European Central Bank and the central banks of each of the Eurozone member states.

The oversight report focuses on the Eurosystem’s oversight of financial market infrastructures, including payment systems, securities and derivatives clearing and settlement systems and trade repositories.

The oversight report also discusses future work priorities. The future work priorities state that the oversight priorities of the Eurosystem will still be driven by the implementation measures of the regulatory reform process and the need to avoid the emergence of systemic risks in the Eurozone. The Eurosystem will also conduct assessments of the design and operation of T2S, the securities settlement platform operated by the Eurosystem that is set to go live in June 2015. Finally the Eurosystem will continue to conduct regular analyses of correspondent banking activities and is currently reviewing its assessment guides for credit cards, direct debits and credit transfers.  Report.

IOSCO and CPMI Report on Recovery of Financial Market Infrastructures

On October 15, following a consultation launched in August 2013, the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) and the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructure (CPMI) issued a joint report on the recovery of financial market infrastructures (FMIs).

The report supplements the international standard for FMIs published by IOSCO and CPMI in April 2012 and contains guidance to FMIs on the means of developing plans to enable recovery from threats to viability and financial strength which could prevent them from providing critical services to their participants and the markets they serve.  The report also provides guidance to relevant authorities on carrying out their responsibilities in connection with the development and implementation of recovery plans.  Report.