OTC derivatives regulations in US and Europe

There has been an ongoing dialogue for some time now between the European capital markets regulator European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) of the US regarding the requirements for clearing of OTC derivatives. In the opinion of market participants, the lack of agreement, over issues such as margin requirements and the period for which a transaction can be considered to be at risk, is highly detrimental to the efficient functioning of the global capital markets. The evidence has also shown that increasingly there are two separate pools of liquidity operating in the US and European markets respectively, a sub-optimal and undesirable state of affairs. However, from the point of view of the trading participants, the important thing to keep in mind for the future is that the two regulators are in ongoing discussions and the contentious issues are specific and not pervasive. There is also a great deal of respect and understanding that has been displayed by both regulators for the other's point of view, all of which bodes well for overcoming their differences. An agreement would allow for greater liquidity and higher levels of market efficiency, and should also provide a much needed boost to global derivatives trading.