Commodity Futures Trading Commission 

 Office of Public Affairs 

 Three Lafayette Centre 

 1155 21st Street, NW 

 Washington, DC 20581 

 www.cftc.gov

Core Principles and Other Requirements For 

Swap Execution Facilities 

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission) is proposing regulations, guidance and acceptable 

practices governing the registration and operation of swap execution facilities (SEFs). The proposed rulemaking 

implements provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 Established SEFs and 

Provided Related Obligations Under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) 

On July 21, 2010, President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Act. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act amended the 

CEA to establish a comprehensive new regulatory framework for the execution of swaps and security-based swaps. 

Congress established the new regulatory framework by: 

• Creating a definition for SEFs under Section 721 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which added new Section 1a(50) 

to the CEA; 

• Creating an execution requirement under Section 723 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which added new Section 

2(h)(8) to the CEA; and 

• Creating registration and core principle requirements for SEFs under Section 733 of the Dodd-Frank Act, 

which added new Section 5h to the CEA. 

SEF Definition and Registration Requirements 

The Commission proposes to implement the definition of SEF under CEA Section 1a(50) and the registration 

requirements under CEA Section 5h by: 

• Requiring SEFs to provide a basic functionality that gives all market participants the option to post both 

firm and indicative quotes to multiple parties, including all other parties participating in the SEF; and 

• Providing that SEFs have the option to deploy any trading system or platform that provides the basic 

functionality noted above, including request for quote systems or order books. 

Execution Requirement 

The Commission proposes to implement the execution requirement under CEA Section 2(h)(8) by: 

Allowing Required Transactions to be traded on Request for Quote Systems or Order Books 

• Required Transactions: 

o Are subject to the clearing and execution requirements under the CEA; 

o Are made available for trading; and 

o Are not block trades. 

• Request for Quote Systems include: 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission ♦ Office of Public Affairs ♦ 202-418-5080 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission ♦ Office of Public Affairs ♦ 202-418-5080 

o Trading systems or platforms in which a market participant must transmit a request for a quote to 

buy or sell a specific instrument to no less than five market participants in the trading system or 

platform, to which all such market participants may respond. Any bids or offers resting on the 

trading system or platform pertaining to the same instrument must be taken into account and 

communicated to the requester along with the responsive quotes; 

o Trading systems or platforms in which multiple market participants can both: 

 View real-time electronic streaming quotes, both firm and indicative, from multiple potential 

counterparties on a centralized electronic screen; and 

 Have the option to complete a transaction by: 

• Accepting a firm streaming quote; or 

• Transmitting a request for quote to no less than five market participants, based upon 

an indicative streaming quote, taking into account any resting bids or offers that have 

been communicated to the requester along with any responsive quotes. 

o Any such other trading system or platform as may be determined by the Commission. 

• Order Books include: 

o Electronic trading facilities as defined under the CEA; 

o Trading facilities as defined under the CEA; 

o Trading systems or platforms in which all market participants in the trading system or platform can 

enter multiple bids and offers, observe bids and offers entered by other market participants, and 

choose to transact on such bids and offers; and 

o Any such other trading system or platform as may be determined by the Commission. 

The Commission’s Proposed Regulations, Guidance and Acceptable Practices Govern the 

Obligations of SEFs Under the CEA 

The Commission proposes to codify regulations and provide guidance and acceptable practices governing the 

obligations of SEFs to comply with the applicable provisions of the CEA, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act, 

including the registration requirements and the fifteen core principles under Section 5h of the CEA. 

Specifically, the proposed regulations, guidance and acceptable practices govern the general obligations of SEFs, 

including: 

• Trading and products requirements; 

• Compliance obligations; 

• Operational capabilities; 

• Surveillance obligations; and 

• Financial information and resource requirements.