EU and UK derivatives counterparties are now having to grapple with different sets of rules in the EU and the UK when trading derivatives with each other, following the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020....more
Brexit and Debt Capital Markets transactions: some practical perspectives -Following the end of the Brexit transition period, debt capital markets participants may now need to consider both EU rules and the parallel UK rules...more
Diverging approaches to Share Trading Obligations from the FCA and ESMA pose challenges for investment firms in a post-Brexit Europe. With 1 January 2021 creeping closer and the hope of securing an effective Brexit deal...more
Ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period, on 31 December 2020, regulators in the UK and the EU have issued a number of updates: Share trading obligation - In relation to the potential conflict between the share...more
Securities Financing Transactions, Securitisation and Miscellaneous Amendments (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 - The Securities Financing Transactions, Securitisation and Miscellaneous Amendments (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (SI...more
EMIR: ESMA report on post-trade risk reduction services - The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a report on post-trade risk reduction (PTRR) services under the European Market Infrastructure...more
The Financial Services Bill was introduced in Parliament on 21 October 2020. According to the UK Government, the Bill is designed to “ensure the UK’s world-leading financial services sector continues to thrive and grasp new...more
The European Union’s financial regulatory regime for third-country access in many sectors relies on a framework of “equivalence,” whereby institutions based in approved non-EU countries with similar standards may have varying...more
Brexit: ESMA to recognise three UK CCPS from 1 January 2021 - The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has announced that three central counterparties (CCPs) established in the UK will be recognized as...more
FMI supervision: BoE policy statement on fees regime for 2020/21 - The Bank of England (BoE) has published a policy statement on the fees regime for the supervision of financial market infrastructure (FMI) that will apply...more
PUBLICATIONS - APAC Financial Regulatory Focus: Expected Developments in the Year of the Rat - As we move into the year of the rat, our team across Asia Pacific consider some of the key areas of financial regulatory...more
HM Treasury has published the Equivalence Determinations for Financial Services and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, providing U.K. government ministers with a temporary power to make...more
On 29 October 2019, politicians once again kicked the possibility of a cliff edge Brexit into the grass but with UK politics still deeply divided and a general election on the horizon, it is unlikely that clarity on the...more
In early August 2019, the Luxembourg regulator, the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the "CSSF"), confirmed in a press release that it had opened an online portal to allow UK firms currently using a financial...more
BREXIT - Please refer to the Payment Services and Payment Systems section for an update regarding Directions under the Electronic Money, Payment Services and Payment Systems (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) (EU...more
BREXIT - EEA Joint Committee Decisions - On 18 July, four Decisions of the EEA Joint Committee made on 29 March and five Decisions made on 11 April that amend Annex IX (Financial Services) to the EEA Agreement were...more
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published the Conduct of Business (Contracts for Difference) Instrument 2019, implementing product intervention measures designed to restrict the sale, marketing and distribution of...more
There is no silver bullet for maintaining cross-border trading if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The date of Brexit has been delayed until (at least) October 31, 2019, but there is little sign that financial...more
BREXIT - FCA confirms extension of temporary permissions regime (TPR) On 24 May, the FCA confirmed that the deadline for notifications for entering into the TPR will be extended to 30 October. The TPR will allow EEA-based...more
CONSUMER/RETAIL - FCA call for input on RDR and FAMR review - On 1 May, the FCA published a call for input on its plans to evaluate the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) and Financial Advice Markets Review (FAMR). The...more
BREXIT - On 11 April, the European Council Decision (EU) 2019/584, taken in agreement with the UK to extend the period under Article 50(3) TEU, was published in OJ. The European Council agreed to a further extension to...more
BREXIT - Final EBA Outsourcing Guidelines: Impact on firms’ Brexit contingency plans The EBA has published final guidelines on outsourcing (the EBA Guidelines), which will replace the guidelines issued by its predecessor,...more
BREXIT - Final EBA Outsourcing Guidelines: Impact on firms’ Brexit contingency plans - The EBA has published final guidelines on outsourcing (the EBA Guidelines), which will replace the guidelines issued by its predecessor,...more
BREXIT - European Economic Area member states' domestic preparations for a “no deal” Brexit A&O has been tracking legislative developments in preparation for a no-deal Brexit throughout the EU27 member states. On our...more