Implementation of Margin Requirements and Market Fragmentation

Jurisdictions across the globe have implemented margin requirements for non-cleared derivatives, largely in line with the standards agreed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). Since implementation of the first phase of the requirements in 2016, the US, European Union (EU), Japan and others have extended the requirements in line with the phase-in schedule agreed by BCBS/IOSCO.

Consistency in requirements has enabled ISDA to develop and implement industry solutions to aid compliance, including standard initial margin (IM) and variation margin (VM) documentation, the ISDA Standard Initial Margin Model (ISDA SIMMTM) and ISDA Create – IM, an online tool for negotiating and executing IM documents.

Nonetheless, differences in the implementation across jurisdictions still exist in certain key areas – for example, eligible collateral, settlement time frames and treatment of inter-affiliate transactions. These inconsistencies create unnecessary complexity and costs for derivatives users and contribute to market fragmentation.

This paper highlights the main areas of difference in the implementation of margin requirements for non-cleared derivatives across jurisdictions, and makes recommendations on how to resolve them.

Click on the attached PDF to read the paper.

Documents (1) for Implementation of Margin Requirements and Market Fragmentation

ISDA Response to ESMA on CCP Model Validation

On April 7, ISDA responded to the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) consultation on draft regulatory technical standards (RTS) under article 49(5) of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), on the conditions for an application for validation of model...

Cross-product Netting Under US Capital Rules

ISDA, FIA and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) have developed a discussion paper to: (i) provide an overview of cross-margining programs developed by clearing organizations and their importance in the context of implementing recent market reforms with...