German courts and regulators have put securities lenders on notice that cross-border withholding tax (WHT) reclaim "schemes" are now "crimes." Recent developments in Germany have cleared the way for sweeping tax audits and potential criminal prosecutions of borrowers and lenders reaching back 25 years. The so-called "cum-ex" trades have been a focus of European regulators, particularly in Germany and Denmark, whose treasuries have been hit hardest by these trades. Lenders are being advised that there is new potential for legal and criminal jeopardy attached to cum-ex securities lending transactions and that principals and their service providers should be ready for heightened scrutiny.

In his final address on July 12, 2016 as the EU’s Commissioner for Financial Stability, Jonathan Hill announced that the European Commission would push the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to rethink some of its Basel III reforms in light of their affects on capital, trade finance, market liquidity, and access to clearing.  While applauding the regulatory work done to ensure financial stability, Hill worries that global regulators have become too risk averse, missing the big picture and trading growth for stabil

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.