- The EU Commission (EC) is the latest member to join Eurex as a venue for transactions in repurchase agreements (repos).
- By participating in repo trading and clearing at Eurex, the EC strengthens further the market infrastructure for EU bonds and supports their secondary market liquidity as well as their use as collateral liquid trading in its issued EU bonds.
The EU Commission (EC) is the latest member to join the Eurex Repo segment bringing the number of participants to 165 – including 10 Supranational Institutions and Agencies as well as five central banks such as Deutsche Bundesbank.
The move delivers on the EC’s announcement in December 2022 to develop the market infrastructure for EU bonds by implementing a repo facility. It is a further milestone in improving the market infrastructure for EU bonds which will support the use of EU bonds as collateral as well as the overall liquidity of EU bonds in secondary markets.
The EC was welcomed as a market participant during today’s Bell Ringing ceremony on the iconic trading floor of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the presence of EC president Johannes Hahn, Joachim Nagel, president of Deutsche Bundesbank and Burkhard Balz, member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Bundesbank.
Further enhancement of secondary market liquidity of EU debt
Under its unified funding approach, the European Commission decided end of 2022 to create a liquid curve of large benchmark bonds, branded “EU-Bonds”, rather than separately denominated bonds for individual programs. Since then, the Commission developed the ecosystem for EU bonds further, e.g. by implementing the European Issuance Service and quoting arrangements for electronic trading platforms. The EU’s total debt outstanding now stands at over EUR 560 billion, making them the 5th largest issuer within the EU27 member states.
The onboarding of the EU Commission once again demonstrates the substantial opportunities in European repo markets. Germany’s central bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, has been selected as General Clearing Member by the European Commission.
Eurex to support the Commission’s unified funding approach
Eurex’s business segment for trading and clearing repos significantly enhances the overall efficiency of financial markets by ensuring the smooth operation of the government bond market and other securities markets and supports the EC’s objective of creating a liquid EU bond market.
Eurex’s cross-market and balance sheet netting capabilities deliver market-wide efficiencies, ultimately bolstering the liquidity of EU bonds. Furthermore, Eurex’s euro-dominated cross-product strategy, which integrates bonds, repos, and linked derivatives within a single clearing environment, is poised to further enhance this contribution through the planned expansion of its cross-product margining capabilities.
This comprehensive approach not only fosters efficient and liquid markets but also significantly advances the development of a robust EU bond market.
Erik Müller, CEO of Eurex Clearing, said in a statement: “We welcome the EU Commission and fully support its unified funding approach. We are proud to be the Commission’s partner for trading and clearing of repo transactions in EU debt securities complementing our broad range of clients.”
Johannes Hahn, European commissioner for Budget and Administration, said in a statement: “The European Commission’s objective is to strengthen the European capital markets and ensure financial stability and their sovereignty. Today I am very happy that we joined Eurex Repo as a market participant. We need a liquid EU bond market and Eurex is a great partner to achieve it.”
Joachim Nagel, president of Deutsche Bundesbank, said in a statement: “Acting as a General Clearing Member at Eurex for several public entities for many years, the Bundesbank brings experience to the table. With this robust track record, we are happy to provide our services to the Commission. I look forward to implementing our newly established partnership and the benefits it will bring to our financial system.”