On June 14, 2016, the CFTC approved a final rule to amend existing swaps reporting regulations in order to provide additional clarity to swap counterparties and registered entities regarding their reporting obligations for cleared swap transactions. The final rule modifies Part 45 of the CFTC's regulations, by removing uncertainty as to which counterparty to a swap is responsible for reporting data for each of the components of a cleared swap transaction, including to further clarify whose obligation it is to report the extinguishment of a swap once a derivatives clearing organization has accepted the transaction for clearing. The rule also improves the efficiency of data collection and maintenance associated with the reporting of the swaps involved in a cleared swap transaction. Specifically, the CFTC indicated that it expects that it will reduce the likelihood of double counting notional exposures and will improve the ability to trace the history of a cleared swap transaction from execution between the original counterparties to clearing novation. The rule will become effective 180 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The rule also codifies previous CFTC no-action letters by eliminating the requirement for swap dealer/major swap participant reporting counterparties to report daily valuation data for cleared swaps effective immediately upon publication in the Federal Register.
The final rule is available at: http://www.cftc.gov/idc/groups/public/@newsroom/documents/file/federalregister061416.pdf.
Chairman Massad's statement is available at: http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/massadstatement061416#SpTeMBL.
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