SEC Proposes Amendments to Exchange Act Rule 3a12-8 to Add European Union Debt Obligations

The Securities and Exchange Commission today proposed amendments to Rule 3a12-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to add the debt obligations of the European Union (EU) to the list of foreign government debt obligations designated as "exempted securities" solely for the purposes of futures marketing and trading. “For too long, gaps like this one—where the debt of several EU member states was covered but debt of the European Union itself was not—have created exactly the kind of inconsistency that breeds confusion rather than confidence in the markets,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “This proposal is harmonization in practice and builds on our efforts with the CFTC to preserve investor protection while closing regulatory gaps.” The proposed amendments would place futures contracts on European Union debt obligations under the exclusive jurisdiction of the CFTC, consistent with the regulatory treatment already afforded to futures on the debt obligations of several EU…