In a May 10, 2017 address, acting Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)  J. Christopher Giancarlo highlighted some unintended consequences regulation is having on the swaps markets. In his speech before the International Swaps and Derivatives Association 32nd Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal Giancarlo talked about the changes to swaps trading liquidity, market fragmentation and regulatory comity in the post-reform global swaps markets. After providing an overview of how some aspects of the misapplication and miscalibration of regulatory reforms were harming global liquidity, he provided some astute observations on how to alleviate some of the harm being done to swaps markets in particular. 

In a joint statement issued on February 10, the European Commission (EC) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced agreement on a common approach regarding requirements for central clearing counterparties (CCPs).  The agreement is the result of a multi-year analysis of differences between the CFTC and EU regulatory requirements. The accord commits the EC and CFTC to base regulations on international rather than parochial principles, and for both the CFTC and the European Commission Services to work together, along with counterparts across the global regulatory community, to develop further these principles and further harmonize the standards to which internationally active CCPs are held.

As the market subject to these regulations is international, it is acknowledged that, notwithstanding the high degree of similarity that already exists between the respective requirements, without coordination, subjecting the global market to the simultaneous application of each other’s requirements could lead to conflicts of law, inconsistencies, and legal uncertainty.

On July 11, 2013 European Commissioner Michel Barnier and United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Gary Gensler announced a Path Forward regarding their joint understandings on a package of measures for how to approach cross-border derivatives. This new pact responds to the G20 commitment to lower risk and promote transparency in the over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets, but in a way that recognizes the challenges of regulating what is now understood to be a virtually borderless market. Pledging cooperation, the EU and US hope to ensure that regulations put in place "pursue the same objectives and generate the same outcomes." Much coordination between US and EU regulators has already in many places resulted "in final rules are essentially identical, even though the regulatory calendars are not always synchronized."