Greek statutes

Though issuers and distributors are united in thinking that Greece's structured products market can finally make its mark, hurdles such as exorbitant stamp duty and a lack of options contracts need to be negotiated before the market can stand on a level footing with its European counterparts. Matt Cameron reports

More than 100 delegates attended the inaugural Structured Products Greece conference at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens on February 5, eager to express their views on a market that possesses plenty of potential. The biggest discussions centred around the many obstacles that constrain the Greek derivatives markets, and the call for the formation of a Greek derivatives trade association, which would enable market participants to lobby for changes to existing regulations.

Vassilios Pappas