On 28 August 2019, the European Commission (the Commission) published an answer given by Valdis Dombrovskis (Vice-President European Commission, Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union) concerning cryptoassets. In its response, the Commission refers to an announcement made in its 2018 Action Plan on FinTech (see previous blog post here) that it is looking closely at the opportunities and challenges raised by cryptoassets, including digital currencies. The Commission explains that, based on advice…

On 19 August 2019, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) working group on euro risk-free rates published a report that focuses on the impact that the transition from the current euro overnight index average (EONIA) to the ECB’s euro short-term rate (€STR) will have on cash and derivatives products. In the report, the working group analyses the implications of the transition and provides market participants with recommendations on how to smoothen the transition. It does so…

On 27 September 2019 we will be holding a breakfast briefing that will provide insight to the progression of benchmark rate reform, and provide attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion regarding the key issues facing anyone involved in the financial markets. Further information can be found here.…

The Norton Rose Fulbright LLP financial services team invite you to their latest breakfast briefings. Our latest series of briefings cover some of the key regulatory developments facing financial services firms: 4 September 2019: The clock is ticking on SMCR compliance. In this practical workshop conducted under Chatham House rules the Norton Rose Fulbright SMCR implementation team look at some of the last minute thorny issues that FCA solo regulated firms are dealing with as…

On 9 August 2019, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) published a statement summarising the preliminary results of its consultation on how derivatives contracts should address a regulatory announcement that LIBOR and certain other interbank offered rates (IBORs) are no longer representative of an underlying market. The pre-cessation trigger for LIBOR would apply in the event that the FCA assesses that one or more panels have shrunk so significantly in terms of number of…

The overall objective of the Bank of England Working Group on Sterling Risk-Free Reference Rates (Working Group) is to enable a broad-based transition to SONIA by the end of 2021 across the sterling bond, loan and derivative markets. This will reduce the financial stability risks arising from widespread reliance on sterling LIBOR. In March 2019 the Working Group issued a discussion paper addressed to market participants who are considering how to reference SONIA in new…

On 5 August 2019, the FCA published a new webpage containing the findings of its review into the embedding of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR) in the banking sector. Generally, the FCA found that the banking industry had made a concerted effort to implement the SM&CR finding that most firms have taken actions to move away from basic rules-based compliance towards embedding the regime in the organisation. Points of interest include the following:…