Section 48.8 - Conditions of registrationUpon registration under this part, and on an ongoing basis thereafter, the foreign board of trade and the clearing organization shall comply with the applicable conditions of registration set forth in this section and any additional conditions that the Commission deems necessary and may impose, in its discretion, and after appropriate notice and opportunity to respond. Such conditions could include, but are not limited to, additional conditions applicable to the listing of swap contracts. Continued registration is expressly conditioned upon satisfaction of these conditions.
(a)Specified conditions for maintaining registration.(1) Registration Requirements: The foreign board of trade and its clearing organization shall continue to satisfy all of the requirements for registration set forth in § 48.7 .(2) Regulatory Regime: (i) The foreign board of trade will continue to satisfy the criteria for a regulated market or licensed exchange pursuant to the regulatory regime described in its application and will continue to be subject to oversight by the regulatory authorities described in its application.(ii) The clearing organization will continue to satisfy the criteria for a regulated clearing organization pursuant to the regulatory regime described in the application for registration and will continue to be in good standing with the relevant regulatory authority.(iii) The laws, systems, rules, and compliance mechanisms of the regulatory regime applicable to the foreign board of trade will continue to require the foreign board of trade to maintain fair and orderly markets; prohibit fraud, abuse, and market manipulation and other disruptions of the market; and provide that such requirements are subject to the oversight of appropriate regulatory authorities.(3) Satisfaction of International Standards:(i) The foreign board of trade will continue to comply with the Principles for the Oversight of Screen-Based Trading Systems for Derivative Products developed by the Technical Committee of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, as updated, revised, or otherwise amended, to the extent such principles do not contravene United States law.(ii) The clearing organization will continue to:(A) Be registered with the Commission as a derivatives clearing organization and be in compliance with the laws and regulations related thereto; or(B) Observe the Recommendations for Central Counterparties.(4) Restrictions on Direct Access: (i) Only the foreign board of trade's identified members or other participants will have direct access to the foreign board of trade's trading system from the United States and the foreign board of trade will not provide, and will take reasonable steps to prevent, third parties from providing direct access to persons other than the identified members or other participants.(ii) All orders that are transmitted to the foreign board of trade's trading system by a foreign board of trade's identified member or other participant that is operating pursuant to the foreign board of trade's registration will be solely for the member's or trading participant's own account unless such member or other participant is registered with the Commission as a futures commission merchant or such member or other participant is registered with the Commission as an introducing broker, commodity pool operator or commodity trading advisor, or is exempt from registration as a commodity pool operator or commodity trading advisor pursuant to § 4.13 or § 4.14 of this chapter, provided that a futures commission merchant registered with the Commission as such or a firm exempt from such registration pursuant to § 30.10 of this chapter acts as clearing firm and guarantees, without limitation, all trades of the introducing broker, commodity pool operator or commodity trading advisor effected through submission of orders for United States pools or customers to the trading system.(5) Submission to Commission Jurisdiction: (i) Prior to operating pursuant to registration under this part and on a continuing basis thereafter, a registered foreign board of trade will require that each current and prospective member or other participant that is granted direct access to the foreign board of trade's trading system and that is not registered with the Commission as a futures commission merchant, an introducing broker, a commodity trading advisor or a commodity pool operator, file with the foreign board of trade a written representation, executed by a person with the authority to bind the member or other participant, stating that as long as the member or other participant is authorized to enter orders directly into the trade matching system of the foreign board of trade, the member or other participant agrees to and submits to the jurisdiction of the Commission with respect to activities conducted pursuant to the registration.(ii) The foreign board of trade and its clearing organization will file with the Commission a valid and binding appointment of an agent for service of process in the United States pursuant to which the agent is authorized to accept delivery and service of communications, as defined in § 48.2(e) issued by or on behalf of the Commission, the United States Department of Justice, or the National Futures Association.(iii) The foreign board of trade, clearing organization, and each current and prospective member or other participant that is granted direct access to the foreign board of trade's trading system and that is not registered with the Commission as a futures commission merchant, an introducing broker, a commodity trading advisor, or a commodity pool operator will maintain with the foreign board of trade written representations, executed by persons with the authority to bind the entity making them, stating that as long as the foreign board of trade is registered under this part, the foreign board of trade, the clearing organization or member of either or other participant granted direct access pursuant to this part will provide, upon the request of the Commission, the United States Department of Justice and, if appropriate, the National Futures Association, prompt access to the entity's, member's, or other participant's original books and records or, at the election of the requesting agency, a copy of specified information containing such books and records, as well as access to the premises where the trading system is available in the United States.(iv) The foreign board of trade will maintain all representations required pursuant to § 48.8(a)(5) as part of its books and records and make them available to the Commission upon request.(6) Information Sharing:(i) Information-sharing arrangements satisfactory to the Commission, including but not limited to those set forth in § 48.7(g) , are in effect between the Commission and the regulatory authorities that govern the activities of both the foreign board of trade and the clearing organization.(ii) The Commission is, in fact, able to obtain sufficient information regarding the foreign board of trade, the clearing organization, their respective members and participants and the activities related to the foreign board of trade's registration.(iii) The foreign board of trade and its clearing organization, as applicable, will provide directly to the Commission any information necessary to evaluate the continued eligibility and appropriateness of the foreign board of trade for registration, the capability and determination to enforce compliance with the requirements and conditions of the registration, or to enable the Commission to carry out its duties under the Act and Commission regulations and to provide adequate protection to the public or United States registered entities.(iv) In the event that the foreign board of trade and the clearing organization are separate entities, the foreign board of trade will require the clearing organization to enter into a written agreement in which the clearing organization is contractually obligated to promptly provide any and all information and documentation that may be required of the clearing organization under this regulation and such agreement shall be made available to the Commission, upon request.(7) Monitoring for Compliance: The foreign board of trade and the clearing organization will employ reasonable procedures for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the specified conditions of its registration.(8) On-Site Visits: The foreign board of trade and the clearing organization will permit and will cooperate with Commission staff with respect to on-site visits for the purpose of overseeing ongoing compliance of the foreign board of trade and the clearing organization with registration requirements and conditions of registration.(9) Conditions Applicable to Swap Trading:(i) The foreign board of trade will ensure that all transaction data relating to each swap transaction, including price and volume, are reported as soon as technologically practicable after execution of the swap transaction to a swap data repository that is either registered with the Commission or has an information sharing arrangement with the Commission.(ii) The foreign board of trade will agree to coordinate with the Commission with respect to arrangements established to address cross market oversight issues involving swap trading, including surveillance, emergency actions and the monitoring of trading.(b)Other continuing obligations.(1) Registered foreign boards of trade and their clearing organizations will continue to comply with the following obligations on an ongoing basis:(i) The foreign board of trade will maintain the following updated information and submit such information to the Commission on at least a quarterly basis, not later than 30 days following the end of the quarter, and at any time promptly upon the request of a Commission representative, computed based upon separating buy sides and sell sides, in a format as determined by the Commission: (A) For each contract available to be traded through the foreign board of trade's trading system; (1) The total trade volume originating from electronic trading devices providing direct access;(2) The total trade volume for such contracts traded through the trading system worldwide;(3) The total trade volume for such contracts traded on the foreign board of trade generally; and(B) A listing of the names, National Futures Association identification numbers (if applicable), and main business addresses in the United States of all members and other participants that have direct access.(ii) The foreign board of trade will promptly provide to the Commission written notice of the following:(A) Any material change to the information provided in the foreign board of trade's registration application.(B) Any material change in the rules of the foreign board of trade or clearing organization or the laws, rules, or regulations in the home country jurisdictions of the foreign board of trade or clearing organization relevant to futures, option or swap contracts made available by direct access.(C) Any matter known to the foreign board of trade, the clearing organization or its representatives that, in the judgment of the foreign board of trade or clearing organization, may affect the financial or operational viability of the foreign board of trade or its clearing organization with respect to contracts traded by direct access, including, but not limited to, any significant system failure or interruption.(D) Any default, insolvency, or bankruptcy of any foreign board of trade member or other participant that is or should be known to the foreign board of trade or its representatives or the clearing organization or its representatives that may have a material, adverse impact upon the condition of the foreign board of trade as it relates to trading by direct access, its clearing organization or upon any United States customer or firm or any default, insolvency or bankruptcy of any member of the foreign board of trade's clearing organization.(E) Any violation of any specified conditions of the foreign board of trade's registration or failure to satisfy the requirements for registration under this part that is known or should be known by the foreign board of trade, the clearing organization or any of their respective members or participants.(F) Any disciplinary action by the foreign board of trade or its clearing organization, or any regulatory authority that governs their respective activities, taken against any of their respective members or participants with respect to any contract available to be traded by direct access that involves any market manipulation, abuse, fraud, deceit, or conversion or that results in suspension or expulsion.(iii) The foreign board of trade and the clearing organization, or their respective regulatory authorities, as applicable, will provide the following to the Commission annually as of June 30 and not later than July 31.(A) A certification from the foreign board of trade's regulatory authority confirming that the foreign board of trade retains its authorization, licensure or registration, as applicable, as a regulated market and/or exchange under the authorization, licensing, recognition or other registration methodology used by the foreign board of trade's regulatory authority and that the foreign board of trade is in continued good standing.(B) If the clearing organization is not a derivatives clearing organization registered with the Commission, a certification from the clearing organization's regulatory authority confirming that the clearing organization retains its authorization, licensure or registration, as applicable, as a clearing organization under the authorization, licensing or other registration methodology used by the clearing organization's regulatory authority and is in continued good standing.(C) If the clearing organization is not a derivatives clearing organization registered with the Commission, a recertification of the clearing organization's observance of the Recommendations for Central Counterparties.(D) A certification that affiliates, as defined in § 48.2(k) , continue to be required to comply with the rules of the foreign board of trade and clearing organization and that the members or other participants to which they are affiliated remain responsible to the foreign board of trade for ensuring their affiliates' compliance.(E) A description of any material changes regarding the foreign board of trade or clearing organization that have not been previously disclosed, in writing, to the Commission, or a certification that no such material changes have occurred.(F) A description of any significant disciplinary or enforcement actions that have been instituted by or against the foreign board of trade or the clearing organization or the senior officers of either during the prior year.(G) A written description of any material changes to the regulatory regime to which the foreign board of trade or the clearing organization are subject that have not been previously disclosed, in writing, to the Commission, or a certification that no material changes have occurred.(2) The above-referenced annual reports must be signed by an officer of the foreign board of trade or the clearing organization who maintains the authority to bind the foreign board of trade or clearing organization, as applicable, and must be based on the officer's personal knowledge.(c)Additional specified conditions for foreign boards of trade with linked contacts. If a registered foreign board of trade grants members or other participants direct access and makes available for trading a linked contract, the following additional conditions apply:(1) Statutory Conditions. (i) The foreign board of trade will make public daily trading information regarding the linked contract that is comparable to the daily trading information published by the registered entity for the contract to which the foreign board of trade's contract is linked, and(ii) The foreign board of trade (or its regulatory authority) will:(A) Adopt position limits (including related hedge exemption provisions) applicable to all market participants for the linked contract that are comparable to the position limits (including related hedge exemption provisions) adopted by the registered entity for the contract to which it is linked;(B) Have the authority to require or direct any market participant to limit, reduce, or liquidate any position the foreign board of trade (or its regulatory authority) determines to be necessary to prevent or reduce the threat of price manipulation, excessive speculation as described in section 4a of the Act, price distortion, or disruption of delivery on the cash settlement process;(C) Agree to promptly notify the Commission, with regard to the linked contract, of any change regarding-(1) The information that the foreign board of trade will make publicly available,(2) The position limits that foreign board of trade or its regulatory authority will adopt and enforce,(3) The position reductions required to prevent manipulation, excessive speculation as described in section 4a of the Act, price distortion, or disruption of delivery or the cash settlement process, and(4) Any other area of interest expressed by the Commission to the foreign board of trade or its regulatory authority;(D) Provide information to the Commission regarding large trader positions in the linked contract that is comparable to the large trader position information collected by the Commission for the contract to which it is linked; and(E) Provide the Commission such information as is necessary to publish reports on aggregate trader positions for the linked contract that are comparable to such reports on aggregate trader positions for the contract to which it is linked.(2) Other Conditions on Linked Contracts. (i) The foreign board of trade will inform the Commission in a quarterly report of any member that had positions in a linked contract above the applicable foreign board of trade position limit, whether a hedge exemption was granted, and if not, whether a disciplinary action was taken.(ii) The foreign board of trade will provide the Commission, either directly or through its agent, with trade execution and audit trail data for the Commission's Trade Surveillance System on a trade-date plus one basis and in a form, content and manner acceptable to the Commission for all linked contracts.(iii) The foreign board of trade will provide to the Commission, at least one day prior to the effective date thereof, except in the event of an emergency market situation, copies of, or hyperlinks to, all rules, rule amendments, circulars and other notices published by the foreign board of trade with respect to all linked contracts.(iv) The foreign board of trade will provide to the Commission copies of all reports of disciplinary action involving the foreign board of trade's linked contracts upon closure of the action. Such reports should include the reason the action was undertaken, the results of the investigation that led to the disciplinary action, and any sanctions imposed.(v) In the event that the Commission, pursuant to its emergency powers authority, directs that the registered entity which lists the contract to which the foreign board of trade's contract is linked to take emergency action with respect to a linked contract (for example, to cease trading in the contract), the foreign board of trade, subject to information-sharing arrangements between the Commission and its regulatory authority, will promptly take similar action with respect to the its linked contract.