27/01/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 27 January, the European Commission adopted an equivalence decision establishing that the regime applied to US central counterparties by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is equivalent to EU rules. This decision will allow these US CCPs, which clear securities and securities derivatives, to apply for recognition by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and to offer central clearing services in the EU. It applies only to SEC-regulated covered clearing agencies. Monitoring CCPs in the United States is a shared responsibility between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In 2016, the Commission adopted an equivalence decision (see EUROPE 11512/14) for US CCPs registered with the CFTC. (MF)