New developments in clearing and settlement arrangements for OTC derivatives

The Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (CPSS) has issued on 18th March 2007, a report on New developments in clearing and settlement arrangements for OTC derivatives. The report analyses existing arrangements and risk management practices in the broader OTC derivatives market and evaluates the potential for risks to be mitigated by greater use of, and enhancements to, market infrastructure.

The report focuses on the risks created by delays in documenting and confirming transactions; the implications of the rapidly expanding use of collateral to mitigate counterparty credit risks; the potential for expanding the use of central counterparty (CCP) clearing to reduce counterparty risks; the implications of OTC derivatives prime brokerage; the risks associated with unauthorised novations of contracts; and the potential for significant market disruptions from the closeout of OTC derivatives transactions following the default of a large market participant.

The report concludes that, over the past few years, the clearing and settlement infrastructure of OTC derivatives markets has been significantly strengthened. But further progress is needed in some areas:

• institutions need to extend the successful efforts to reduce confirmation backlogs in credit derivatives to other OTC derivative products, using automated systems whenever possible. To mitigate the risks of remaining backlogs, more systematic use of economic affirmations is appropriate and over time dealers should work toward daily portfolio reconciliations with their most active counterparties;

• market participants should identify steps to mitigate the potential market impact of replacing contracts following the closeout of one or more major participants.

In addition, as the market infrastructure moves further in the direction of centralised processing of trades and post-trade events, several issues will assume greater importance:

• providers of essential post-trade services for OTC derivatives should provide open access to their services and should aim to achieve convenient and efficient connectivity with other systems;

• central banks and supervisors will need to consider whether certain existing standards for securities settlement systems, CCPs or systemically important payment systems should be applied to providers of clearing and settlement services for OTC derivatives that are not already subject to those standards.

(This is the press release of BIS Press & Communications)

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