Repo and collateral markets

The repo product plays a vital and central role in the modern financial ecosystem by providing liquidity, marketability and in offering opportunities for the mitigation of credit risk.

Since the early 1990’s, ICMA has played a significant role in promoting the interests and activities of the international repo market, and of the product itself. This includes the development of the Global Master Repurchase Agreement (GMRA), which has become the principal master agreement for cross-border repos globally, as well as for many domestic repo markets.

The ICMA European Repo Council (ERC) was established in December 1999, to represent the cross-border repo market in Europe. In 2015, the ERC’s name was changed to European Repo and Collateral Council (ERCC) in recognition of the increasingly intimate relationship between repo and collateral and the group’s substantial focus on collateral.

The ICMA ERCC is today the main industry representative body for repo and collateral markets, developing consensus solutions for issues arising in a rapidly evolving marketplace and consolidating and codifying best market practice. The Council also plays a significant role in nurturing the development of the repo market and supporting its wider use in Europe and globally by providing educational courses and market information, such as the bi-annual survey of the European repo market which has become established over the past two decades as the authoritative indicator of market size and structure and the dominant trends.

The ICMA ERCC Committee is the governing board of the ERCC which is elected on an annual basis by all ERCC member firms.

Membership of the ERCC is open to ICMA members who transact repo and associated collateral business in Europe. The ICMA ERCC currently has around 100 members, comprising the majority of firms actively involved in this market.

For more information on the ICMA ERCC sign up for the ERCC’s monthly repo and collateral newsletter.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved in the ERCC, please contact us at ercc@icmagroup.org.

ICMA ERCC Governance

Legal documentation

Global Master Repurchase Agreement (GMRA)
ICMA GMRA Legal opinions (Members only)
Information Statement Securities Financing Transactions Regulation
Resolution Stays
FAQs on the GMRAs (Members only)

ICMA ERCC Publications

Market data

Regulation

FinTech

Other resources

Contacts:

Email the ICMA ERCC secretariat

Andy Hill
Senior Director, Market Practice and Regulatory Policy; secretary to the Secondary Market Practices Committee and also responsible for overseeing repo policy.
Direct line: +44 20 7213 0335

Alexander Westphal
Director, Market Practice and Regulatory Policy, secretary to the ICMA European Repo and Collateral Council and Committee (ERCC) and ERCC Operations Group.
Direct line: +44 20 7213 0333