Arlene McCarthy MEP today welcomed proposals from the European Commissioner to toughen up the Market Abuse Regulation to penalise individuals - 2012-07-25

Arlene McCarthy  MEP,  European Parliament "rapporteur" (draftsperson) on the new Europe-wide market abuse rules,  today welcomed proposals from the European Commissioner Michel Barnier to toughen up the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) to penalise individuals involved in rate fixing scandals like Libor and Euribor,  following on from her campaign for criminal prosecutions.

Ms McCarthy,  who is Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee,  said: “The European Parliament and Commission have moved swiftly,  in response to the public outrage against yet another abusive practice by rogue bankers,  to strengthen the Market Abuse Legislation and to make rate fixing a criminal offence”.

Arlene McCarthy,  who has led calls for a full hearing of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) to grill banking chiefs over this manipulation and the apparent failure of national regulators,  added: “During my recent visit to the US I met with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and we exchanged ideas on how we can toughen up our rules on this abuse. This is an international problem and we need to ensure we set tough rules in both theUSand EU.”

“LIBOR alone is used to set an estimated $800 trillion-worth of financial instruments.  We are now seeing the Department of Justice in theUSmoving ahead with criminal prosecutions and we have seen small businesses seeking legal advice to get compensation for manipulation of interest rates.”

Ms McCarthy added: "I welcome Commission Barnier’s tough stance in his proposals today. The EU cannot be seen to be the soft option or a safe haven for what is clearly criminal behaviour.”

“We must ensure we have a robust legal and regulatory framework to prevent future manipulation or abuse and its potentially devastating consequences for the European and Global economy. Without this we will not end the continued crisis of confidence in banks and financial markets.”

Ends

Notes for Editors:

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Arlene McCarthy MEP is vice chair of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/econ/home.html

Arlene McCarthy MEP is currently drafting the market abuse rules for the EU and the new law on criminal sanctions for market abuse to be voted in committee on 19th September and in plenary in October or November: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/20/eu-libor-idUSL6E8IK7FZ20120720

Arlene has led calls for a full hearing of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) to call in the banks to answer for their manipulation and regulators to account for their failures: http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/2250/banks-and-regulators-to-be-called-to-account-on-libor-scandal

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