Article 9 Specification of the notion of liquidity fragmentation

Liquidity fragmentation shall be deemed to occur when the participants in a trading venue are unable to conclude a transaction with one or more other participants in that venue because of the absence of clearing arrangements to which all participants have access.

Access by a CCP to a trading venue which is already served by another CCP shall not be deemed to give rise to liquidity fragmentation within the trading venue if, without the need to impose a requirement on clearing members of the incumbent CCP to become clearing members of the requesting CCP, all participants to the trading venue can clear, directly or indirectly, through one of the following:

1. (a)

   at least one CCP in common;

2. (b)

   clearing arrangements established by the CCPs.

The arrangements for the fulfilment of the conditions under point (a) or (b) of paragraph 2 shall be established before the requesting CCP starts providing clearing services to the relevant trading venue.

Access to a common CCP as referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2 may be established through two or more clearing members, or two or more clients or through indirect clearing arrangements.

Clearing arrangements referred to in point (b) of paragraph 2 may foresee the transfer of transactions executed by such market participants to clearing members of other CCPs. Although access by a CCP to a trading venue should not require interoperability, an interoperability arrangement which has been agreed by the relevant CCPs and approved by the Bank of England may be used to fulfil the requirement for access to common clearing arrangements.