European Parliament adopts T+1 settlement cycle for securities transactions
The European Parliament has adopted its first reading position on a proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 909/2014 to shorten the securities settlement cycle from two business days (T+2) to one business day (T+1), with the change set to apply from 11 October 2027. The amendment aims to reduce market risks, improve efficiency and align the EU with global practices. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) will monitor settlement efficiency during the transition and report more frequently around implementation, while the European Commission may adjust Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/389 if settlement fails increase. Exemptions include privately negotiated trades executed on trading venues, bilaterally executed trades reported to trading venues, initial book-entry recordings and documented securities financing transactions such as securities lending, buy-sell back or sell-buy back transactions and repurchase agreements.