Reports from CPMI-IOSCO advance regulatory agenda on central counterparties

16 August 2016 Reports published today by the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) are aimed at enhancing the resilience of central counterparties (CCPs), an important move towards completing the regulatory agenda for central clearing laid out after the financial crisis. “Ensuring that central counterparties are safe and resilient is an important priority for the G20 and these reports deliver on key goals set by the Chinese presidency,” said CPMI chair Benoît Cœuré. "Although the risk of default cannot be entirely eliminated from the global financial system, we aim to limit potential systemic risks arising from any default by a central counterparty member as much as possible by applying a robust but balanced approach to reinforce financial buffers and risk control,” said IOSCO board chair Ashley Alder. The first report, Implementation monitoring of PFMI – Level 3 assessment – Report on the financial risk management and recovery practices of 10 derivatives CCPs, looks at the implementation of the key standards for the industry, the Principles for financial market infrastructures (PFMI), as they relate to financial risk management and recovery practices (ie the procedures to follow in case a member defaults). The report reviews measures in place at a selected set of derivatives CCPs and finds CCPs have made important and meaningful progress in implementing arrangements consistent with the standards. Some gaps and shortcomings have nevertheless been identified, notably in the areas of recovery planning and credit and liquidity risk management. The report also identifies a number of other differences in the outcomes of implementation across CCPs. They may reveal differences in interpretation or approach that could materially affect resilience; achieving a level playing field across jurisdictions will be assisted by further guidance on the PFMI outlined in the consultative report also published today (see below). Looking ahead, CPMI and IOSCO intend to conduct a follow-up targeted review of CCPs' progress in addressing the most important issues identified in the report in 2017. The consultative report, Resilience and recovery of central counterparties (CCPs): Further guidance on the PFMI, proposes more granular descriptions of how CCPs are expected to implement key parts of the PFMI to further improve their resilience and recovery planning.