Risk Espana survey 2014: Spanish banks play catch-up as regulation looms

Respondents to Risk España’s survey expect to see declines in over-the-counter derivative volumes as a result of regulation and believe less than half the OTC market’s total notional value will be eligible for clearing

The debt owed by Spanish financial institutions to the European Central Bank (ECB) fell in February for the sixth straight month, suggesting progress on the road to recovery. But the positive news should be offset against a weak domestic loan market, which is likely to restrict banks’ abilities to put capital to work for years to come.

As the rest of Europe gears up for central clearing of standardised over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR)