T1 Settlement
In May 2024, the United States, Canada and Mexico moved to a shortened settlement cycle for security transactions. Transactions in those markets now settle on a T+1 basis. The impacts of this change will be felt well beyond those markets given the size of the global investor base in US securities. EFAMA has been engaged in understanding the broader impacts, contributing to the industry’s preparedness, and maintaining a regular dialogue with regulators.
At the same time, both the UK and EU are reviewing their settlement cycles with a view to aligning with the United States. EFAMA is actively contributing to this effort. This is a complex task given on the one hand, the diversity and number of infrastructure providers in Europe and on the other, a UST1 reality which in itself will generate significant costs due to global misalignment.
European Buy-side Reflections on US T+1: Preparedness and Impact
US move to T+1 creates FX settlement risks for European asset managers
EFAMA research estimates that 40% of daily FX flows are at increased risk
Shortening the settlement cycle
EFAMA is pleased to share its response to the ESMA Call for Evidence on shortening the settlement cycle. In light of the imminent US move to T1, EFAMA supports a timely transition to T1 for Europe, while calling for a dynamic roadmap which can be adapted and modified as lessons from the US migration become known.
EFAMA Note: Impacts of US T1 on EU Regulation
As the US moves to a T+1 settlement cycle from May 2024, the settlement mismatch between the US and EU will raise operational challenges as well as, we suspect, market structure changes. But another direct consequence of the mismatch will be in the enforcement of current EU regulation. In this paper, we identify those scenarios where EU rules will be tested, suggest the scope of that impact and ask policymakers to explore how the regulatory impacts of US T+1 can be mitigated.
High-Level Roadmap for Adoption of T+1 in EU Securities Markets
The European T+1 Industry Task Force, comprising 21 trade associations involved in European capital markets, was established in 2023 to bring together a diverse group of industry stakeholders who would be impacted by a move to a default T+1 settlement cycle for securities traded and settled in the EU.
