Author: Charles Trong Thien Lam

The European Commission issues the RTS on Settlement Discipline

The European Commission issues the RTS on Settlement Discipline

 

The European Commission has just issued the Standards (RTS) on Settlement Discipline.

The Legislators (Council and Parliament) have one to three months of a (non-) objection period, i.e. to express their objection to the draft. The period can be extended for the maximum of here additional months, if the changes in comparison with the ESMA draft RTS have been sufficiently substantial for that.

RTS annexes

 

ECSDA response to the consultation on Shareholder Rights Standards

ECSDA response to the consultation on Shareholder Rights Standards

European Central Securities Depositories Association (ECSDA) represents 38 national and international Central Securities Depositories (CSDs) across 35 European countries. The association aims at promoting a constructive dialogue between the CSD community, European public authorities and other stakeholders looking to contribute to an efficient and risk-averse infrastructure for European financial markets.

ECSDA welcomes the European Commission consultation on the draft implementing regulation. CSDs also thank the European Commission for the opportunity to provide views during the meetings of the Corporate governance expert group and the quality of the resulting draft Implementing Regulation (the Regulation).

Main points:

  1. ECSDA appreciates the draft regulation to be broadly supportive of the market standards, ensuring that their provisions are based on the harmonised and enforceable legal grounds within the EU. We would kindly ask to make an explicit reference to the CSD Regulation (CSDR, (EU) 909/2014). This, to clarify that this Regulation ensures continuity and does not exempt CSD participants holding shares from the CSDR and its standards.
  2. We encourage the Commission to collaborate with other authorities globally to ensure further global harmonisation. As the Shareholder Rights Directive (the Directive) articles 3a, 3b and 3c have extra territorial effect (resulting from Article 3e), we use the opportunity to ask the EU Commission to explain their expectations of the implementation of cross-border processes involving third country intermediaries. The national law of a third country may prohibit the disclosure of beneficial owner, particularly for bearer shares. Hence, this can delay or prevent the transmission of information in line with the Directive and the Regulation. It is also unclear (a) how the regulation applies to the dually-listed securities (within and out-side of the EU), and (b) a holding of a depository receipt (DR) shall be subject to the same processes. The latter are generally deemed an “indirect shareholding” subject to terms and condition established by the DR agent.
  3. European CSDs are fully in support of the Straight Through Processing (STP) and machine-readability of the transmission of data for the purposes of the processes defined in the Regulation. Such tools will significantly reduce operational complexities and operational risks. They may also increase the efficiency of the intermediary network. As the intermediary chain will need to put some efforts (in addition to the numerous ongoing projects) to ensure a fully efficient flow through the chain, automation will require additional time. CSDs would encourage the Commission to positively respond to the market request for a longer implementation period.
  4. We appreciate the alignment of flows for transmission of the shareholder identification, meeting notice and exercise of rights with those used in most European markets.

CSDs would ask the Commission to consider the benefits of harmonising the record date across the EU.

Read the full response.

ESMA issues updated Q&A on the CSD Regulation

ESMA issues updated Q&A on the CSD Regulation

In brief, the new/modified Q&A says:

  • Links shall be assessed in compliance with the CSDR by the time of the CSD application for authorisation under CSDR
  • Communication standards requirement to use international standards is limited to :
    a) the machine-to-machine communication
    b) communication where international, fair and open standards exists
    c) where the CSD cannot/does not provide evidence that the international standards are less efficient. It is possible to use other standards if they are more efficient
  • CSD links should not be qualified as interoperable links only because of the participation of the two CSDs in T2S. T2S links are deemed interoperable only for T2S-related aspects.

Please see the full document

ECSDA views on the Future of European Post-Trade

ECSDA views on the Future of European Post-Trade

Recently, the European Commission has launched a consultation on the Future of European Post-Trade, based on the conclusions of the European Post Trade Forum (EPTF). European CSDs thank the European Commission for the constructive and effective discussions at the EPTF, in which they have been deeply involved. In addition to the insight provided in the report resulting from the forum, Central Securities Depositories (CSDs) note several trends in their immediate ecosystem which are important to post-trade more widely.

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