2.3 Bilateral margin requirements for over-the-counter derivatives

The global between 2007 and 2008 highlighted the need to improve the regulation of over- the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets, aiming both to limit risk-taking and to increase transparency. As a result, the Group of Twenty (G20), of which Brazil is a member, agreed in 2009 to implement a reform agenda covering the OTC derivatives markets, in order to establish international standards to be followed by its member countries. As part of this agenda, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) published in 2015 the principles of margin requirements for transactions not settled through a central counterparty (CCP).

The publication of Resolution nº. 4,662 of May 25, 2018, by the National Monetary Council (CMN), and Circular nº. 3,902, of May 30, 2018, by the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) placed Brazil in the group of countries which have implemented the margin requirements according to the G20 agreement.

Bilateral margin requirements consist of the exchange of financial instruments between counterparties of an OTC derivative transaction in order to protect each one of them from losses caused by the inability of the other counterparty to honor its financial obligations related to the transaction. Resolution nº. 4,662, of 2018, defines two types of margins: the variation margin, which is intended to protect the parts of the transaction from their respective current exposures and is determined based on the market value of derivatives contracts; and the initial margin, which is intended to protect the parties of the transaction from risks arising from their respective potential future exposures, as a result of changes in the future prices of the underlying assets of these contracts.

The Resolution nº. 4,662 of 2018 and the Circular nº. 3,902 of 2018 apply to transactions carried out in the over-the-counter not settled through a CCP, in which at least one of the parties is an institution licensed by the BCB. However, this does not imply a significant restriction on its scope of application, since almost all the transactions carried out in this market have at least one institution licensed by the BCB as a counterparty.

October 2018 | Financial Stability Report | 46 Due to specific features of the Brazilian derivatives market, in which approximately 80% of derivative transactions are settled through a CCP and only 20% of them are traded on the over-the-counter market and settled without the intermediation of a CCP, the rules issued by the CMN and by BCB seek to preserve the stability of the Brazilian financial system and harmonize national regulation with international standards, while avoiding the imposition of disproportionate costs to a market that presents a low speculative profile. Therefore, the requirements are restricted to transactions between an institution licensed by the BCB and its counterparty (financial or otherwise), where both parties necessarily have a significant volume of transactions in OTC derivatives market.

To enable market participants to adapt their systems and processes to the new framework, Resolution nº. 4,662, of 2018, exempts the transactions carried out until August 31, 2019 from the margin requirements. In addition, the rule exempts transactions carried out between September 1, 2019, and August 31, 2020, from the obligation to post and collect initial margin, provided that at least one of the parties does not exceed the threshold of R$ 2.25 trillion in aggregate notional amount. However, this Resolution requires the establishment of initial margin for all transactions carried out as of September 1, 2020.

Thus, the regulation of bilateral margin requirements will contribute to the maintenance of the resilience of the Brazilian financial system, providing specific requisites and procedures that seek to protect financial institutions from exposure to counterparty risks in the derivatives market, mitigate the risk of contagion and restricting excessive within the Brazilian .

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