ECC Clearing Circular 47/2024 | ECC Default Management Simulation

    Summary
    Beginning Monday 28 October 2024, ECC will perform its annual default simulation including external stakeholders. This exercise will focus on practicing close-out and riskmitigation procedures for Clearing Member defaults, as mandated by EU Regulation 648/2012 (EMIR).
    This clearing circular contains information about the default simulation and is relevant for all ECC members. ECC encourages all members to actively take part in the simulation.

    Default Simulation 2024
    ECC’s annual default simulation will take place across an entire week. Please see the attached adescription including date and approximate timing of each test element. 

    Given the importance of stress tests, ECC encourages its Clearing Member to actively participate in the auctions, which can be done via proprietary trading desks or agency account quotes.


    How can members participate?
    All Clearing Members (CMs) and Non-Clearing Members (NCMs) admitted for trading derivatives products at EEX, HUDEX, NOREXECO and EEX Asia that wish to take part in the simulation are invited to send an e-mail including their contact details to your sales representative or to defaulttest@ecc.de or via phone on +49 341 24680-444 until latest Friday, 11 October 2024.


    Non-Clearing Members (Trading Participants):

    • NCMs that participate in the simulation (“simulation participants”) will be invited to a least one and possibly more (simulated) default auctions in various ECC-cleared derivatives products on the day of the test.
    • Participation is only possible in products the NCM is admitted to.

    Clearing Members:

    • CMs are expected to participate in the default auction as a trading participant for products in which they hold positions either on behalf of clients (eg “agency” account positions held via a CM A account) or proprietary account positions.
    • According to ECC´s clearing conditions a CM can restrict their NCMs from participating in the voluntary default auction. ECC will send a list of NCMs that are participating in the auction to the respective CM.

    Registered Default Contacts
    This is a reminder that all Clearing Members and Non-Clearing Members must register and maintain contacts for default purposes, as stipulated in the ECC Clearing Conditions (sections 2.1.2 5 (e) and 2.2.1 (d)). It is imperative that existing members update their default contacts as part of the default simulation setup. This can be done for Clearing Members via the CM04 form, found here https://www.ecc.de/de/access/admission-forms. Alternatively both Clearing Members and Non-Clearing Members can be added as registered default contacts by email instruction to memberreadiness@ecc.de from an authorized representative.

    Procedure
    The simulation will consist of different stages conducted throughout the day. After the simulated default has been declared by ECC and the transfer period for NCMs has been completed the auction stage will be carried out. ECC might execute multiple auctions during the simulation. For reasons of certainty and simplicity, ECC will restrict the number of auctions to a maximum of two consecutive auctions in a single day.
    ECC will inform simulation participants about the start time of the default auction via email.


    ECC will contact all affected CMs with a list of their NCMs participating in the auction. With respect to the voluntary auction, CMs can object to the participation of certain members in accordance with chapter 3.12.1 (2) of ECC’s clearing conditions. If ECC does not receive feedback to the contrary, all listed members will be deemed able to participate in the auction.
    Details on the simulation implementation will be sent directly to the simulation participants in advance.


    Please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have further questions on
    defaulttest@ecc.de or via phone on +49 341 24680-444.

    Contact
    European Commodity Clearing AG
    Clearing & Settlement
    Phone: +49 341 24680-444
    E-mail: clearing@ecc.de