CENTRAL COUNTER PARTIES - ECONOMY

News: Why EU has acted against six Indian CCPs

 

What's in the news?

       The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Union (EU’s) financial markets regulator and supervisor, has derecognized six Indian central counterparties (CCPs) from April 30, 2023.

 

Key takeaways:

       These six CCPs are The Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL), Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd (ICCL), NSE Clearing Ltd (NSCCL), Multi Commodity Exchange Clearing (MCXCCL), India International Clearing Corporation (IFSC) Ltd (IICC) and NSE IFSC Clearing Corporation Ltd (NICCL).

 

Reasons for Derecognition:

       The ESMA said it reviewed the recognition of all third country CCPs (TC-CCPs) that had been recognised prior to September 21, 2020, as per the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) regime.

       The decision to derecognise Indian CCPs came due to ‘no cooperation arrangements’ between the ESMA and Indian regulators — the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).

 

Central Counter Parties:

       A CCP is authorised by the RBI to operate in India under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

 

Functions:

       CCPs perform two main functions as the intermediary in a market transaction – clearing and settlement – and guarantee the terms of trade.

       CCP is a system provider, who by way of innovation interposes between system participants in the transactions admitted for settlement, thereby becoming the buyer to every seller and the seller to every buyer, for the purpose of effecting settlement of their transactions.