Summary/details:
On December 14, 2022, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published for comment four proposals to significantly change certain fundamental elements of U.S. market structure (SEC Proposed Amendments). The comment period closed on March 31, 2023.
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) (together we) have been reviewing the SEC Proposed Amendments and considering their impact on Canadian equity market structure should the SEC adopt any or all of them in any form. We are publishing this notice to solicit views and to seek comment on certain aspects of the SEC Proposed Amendments, with a focus on the potential impacts on Canadian capital markets, including, to the extent it can be estimated, compliance costs, and the potential policy responses. Neither the CSA nor CIRO is proposing any changes to the regulatory framework in Canada at this time. Any proposed changes that may result from this consultation will be published for comment in the normal course.
While it is not certain that any of the SEC Proposed Amendments will be adopted as final rules as proposed or even adopted at all, we are seeking input at this time as the SEC has announced its intention to finalize the Proposed Amendments in April of 2024, and any response by the CSA or CIRO must follow the normal rule-making process.
Section II of this notice outlines the core components of the SEC Proposed Amendments. Section III focuses on certain elements of the SEC Proposed Amendments that may have implications on Canadian capital markets and ask specific questions on which we would like stakeholder feedback to further inform our analysis of the issues and decide on an appropriate course of action. We also share our preliminary views on whether any changes may be required to the regulatory regime in Canada as a result of the SEC Proposed Amendments.
Relevant documents:
Date opened: October 19, 2023
Date closed: December 4, 2023
Status: Concluded