With the prior approval of the ICMA International Repo and Collateral Council (IRCC) Committee, regional committees may enact trading guidelines or recommendations for their regional councils. Such guidelines or recommendations must be in the overall interest of improving efficiency or liquidity in the relevant market. The following guideline has been adopted with the approval of the IRCC Committee.

The Guide sets out standards for the orderly trading and settlement of repos. Its purpose is to help foster a smooth and orderly market in repo in Europe by recommending practices which market experience suggests can help avoid uncertainties or disagreements about transactions, and consequent delays or disruption to repo trading and settlement. The Guide also codifies market conventions, where this has been thought to be helpful, usually in response to queries from market participants.

The practices set out in the Guide are general recommendations only. Parties to repos are free to agree other terms, where they see fit. It is not necessarily a problem if recommended best practice is not followed, provided parties recognise the risks to which they may expose themselves as a result. The Guide has been written to assist staff in member firms of the ICMA ERCC, but other firms may find the Guide helpful. It presupposes some knowledge and experience of how the repo market operates.

The latest version of the Guide, published in November 2023, is effective as of 3 November 2023.


It is the intention of the ICMA ERCC to continually monitor developments in the European Repo Market. Accordingly, the Guide will continue to remain under review and will be amended as warranted by any evolution in the agreed understanding of best practice. Because of this intention to periodically amend the Guide, the most up-to-date version will be available on the ICMA website for download and print. It will be for repo market participants to ensure that they periodically check the ICMA website to ensure that they have the most up-to-date version of the Guide.

For further information please contact ercc@icmagroup.org.


See also:

 



Contacts:

Andy Hill
Deputy Head, 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

ICMA Zurich
T: +41 44 363 4222
Dreikönigstrasse 8
8002 Zurich

ICMA London
T: +44 20 7213 0310
110 Cannon Street
London EC4N 6EU
ICMA Paris
T: +33 1 8375 6613
25 rue du Quatre Septembre
75002 Paris

ICMA Brussels
T: +32 2 801 13 88
Avenue des Arts 56
1000 Brussels
ICMA Hong Kong
T: +852 2531 6592
Unit 3603, Tower 2
Lippo Centre
89 Queensway, Admiralty
Hong Kong
info@icmagroup.org (general enquiries)
education@icmagroup.org (education enquiries)
sustainabilitybonds@icmagroup.org (sustainable finance)
Copyright © 2024 International Capital Market Association.