Policy risk
EU consultation provokes debate on future of energy market
On June 16, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators closed a consultation on the future of the EU energy market. The document’s wide-ranging proposals have been met with a mixed reaction from regulators and market participants. Gillian Carr…
CFTC position limits rule blasted by commodity merchants
Vitol, Louis Dreyfus and other commodity trading firms say the proposed bona fide hedge exemptions in the CFTC's revived position limits rule are too narrow and discriminate against merchants
Derivatives dealer rule worries Canadian energy firms
Companies such as Suncor and TransAlta fear 'huge' costs if they are obliged to register as derivatives dealers and clear all their trades under new rules being considered by Canadian regulators
UK Electricity Market Reform welcomed by energy chiefs
Energy executives welcome the UK government's Electricity Market Reform at a conference in London, despite some differences between speakers on the finer details and likely future of the legislation
Mexican energy regulator looks ahead to greater integration with US
Mexico’s programme of energy market reform will lead to greater integration between the north of the country and neighbouring US states, such as Texas and California, says energy regulator in an exclusive video
Dodd-Frank swap dealer rules tricky, says Cargill compliance head
A lack of guidance on the swap dealer provisions of the US Dodd-Frank Act is turning compliance into a guessing game for swap dealers such as Cargill Risk Management, suggests the firm's chief compliance officer in a video interview
Broker of the Year: Icap Energy
New rules and client malaise are posing challenges for energy brokers, but Icap Energy has delivered continuity in terms of quality of execution and the way it has handled regulatory change
Energy firms ponder Mifid exemptions and position limits
A consultation by the European Securities and Markets Authority is being closely scrutinised for answers on how a revamped Markets in Financial Instruments Directive will affect commodity trading companies
Unfinished rules likely to cause continued hedging woes
Post-crisis financial legislation is generating deep uncertainty for industry participants, making life difficult for companies that rely on commodity markets as a vital way of managing their risk
Carbon reform may be shaken by European Parliament vote
Proposals designed to address the problem of oversupply in the EU ETS – including the EC’s proposal for a market stability reserve – are likely to become harder to pass thanks to recent elections, say analysts
European gas hubs stand to benefit from crisis in Ukraine
Escalating tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine have taken energy market participants by surprise. With the potential for tougher sanctions, industry observers believe one outcome could be an acceleration of Europe's shift away from oil…
CFTC eases Dodd-Frank burden on energy companies
In the wake of industry criticism, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is taking steps to relax position limits and accommodate the concerns of public utilities in its implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act
CFTC accord bolsters Ferc drive to catch manipulation
Memorandum of Understanding with US Commodity Futures Trading Commission on information sharing has been "extremely useful" for energy regulator, says Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's deputy director of surveillance
More work required on Remit reporting, firms say
Back-loading, self-reporting and non-standard trades continue to pose major obstacles to compliance with Remit, say energy trading firms
Carbon emissions trading spreads across the globe
Traders’ enthusiasm for the European Union Emissions Trading System has slumped during recent years. But at the same time, there have been a variety of significant developments in carbon markets elsewhere around the globe. Gillian Carr rounds up some of…
EU ETS decision leaves airlines playing cameo role
Airlines set to remain on the fringes of the EU ETS until at least 2016, disappointing environmentalists and market observers hoping for better liquidity
CFTC upping enforcement effort, warns former chief
David Meister, former director of enforcement at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, speaks exclusively to Alexander Osipovich about market manipulation, high-frequency trading and the value of Dodd-Frank reporting rules for financial watchdogs
Conference highlights questions over Remit implementation
Problems encountered by Emir demonstrate issues that need to be solved before Remit reporting begins, argue attendees at Energy Risk Italia
CFTC no-action letter could end public utilities' hedging woes
CFTC exempts ‘utility operations-related swaps’ from contributing towards $25 million special entity threshold under Dodd-Frank
Banks welcome FCA focus on commodity trading houses
UK regulator right to question risk posed by commodity trading houses, bankers argue
Trade reporting special report
Derivatives trade reporting is mandatory in the US and Europe under Dodd-Frank and Emir rules. Energy Risk presents a special report
Fed probes catastrophic risks in bank physical commodity trading
The US Federal Reserve has moved to tighten the rules on physical commodity trading by banks, citing fears they might suffer huge losses as a result of an environmental disaster. How valid are such concerns and what steps is the Fed likely to take?…
Emir reporting date sparks 'mad rush' in energy derivatives market
A requirement to report trades under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation kicked in on February 12, creating a rush to comply among energy derivatives market participants. Some firms have struggled with the rules, and say a lack of support from…
Energy firms' systems not ready for regulation, survey finds
ETRM systems are ill-prepared for financial and energy market regulation, according to Energy Risk survey