Cboe Clear Europe Secures Regulatory Approval to Launch Securities Financing Transactions Clearing

Cboe Clear Europe announced that it has received regulatory approval to clear European Securities Financing Transactions (SFTs). This was granted by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM). With this approval, Cboe Clear Europe is set to introduce a first-of-its-kind service for European SFT transactions in cash equities and ETFs, which includes central clearing, settlement and post-trade lifecycle management. It is available to principal lenders, special participant lenders (UCITS and non-UCITS) and borrowers, with settlements conducted across 19 European Central Securities Depositories (CSDs). The service supports key regulatory initiatives such as the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), Central Securities Depositary Regime (CSDR) and the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation (SFTR), thereby promoting transparency, market integrity and the competitiveness of European capital markets. This service will help to transform the current bilateral process between securities lenders and borrowers into a centrally cleared model, with Cboe Clear Europe acting as the counterparty to both sides of each transaction. The service will utilise The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation and J.P. Morgan as Tri-Party Collateral Agents, while Pirum will serve as the transmitter of new trade instructions and post-trade lifecycle events on behalf of clients.