The CFTC's Agricultural Advisory Committee ("AAC") is set to meet on July 25, 2013, to discuss issues concerning the Dodd-Frank Act, including customer protection and the voice recording provision in 1.35. There will also be a presentation on the trading of ethanol and Renewable Identification Numbers ("RINs"). This meeting is open to the public and will be recorded and available on the CFTC website. See: CFTC AAC Press Release.

The SEC announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with the EU/EEA in an effort to increase information sharing in the area of asset management. The MOU will serve as a framework for supervisory cooperation and an exchange of information between the regulators. See: SEC Press Release.

The Federal Register has published the CFTC Exemptive Order Regarding Compliance with Certain Swap Regulations. See: 78 FR 140; CFTC Press Release. See also: CFTC Posts "Cross-Border Guidance" and "Cross-Border Exemptive Order" for Swaps (July 19, 2013); CFTC Approves Cross-Border Guidance and Exemptive Order (with Lofchie Comment) (July 12, 2013).

Using the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine ("TRACE"), FINRA will begin to disseminate information for so-called specified pool transactions in agency pass-through MBS issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae, as well as in securities backed by loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration ("SBA"). TRACE will disseminate transactional information such as the time of the trade, price, and volume. Furthermore, FINRA has also made information available on historic transactions in agency pass-through MBS and SBA-Backed asset-backed securities ("ABS") traded in specified pool

FINRA provided notice of a proposed rule change to extend the current application implementation of Rule 4240 to credit default swaps ("CDS"). See: 78 FR 140. See also: The Margin Chapter of the Broker-Dealer Guide provides a discussion of the Rule 4240 treatment of CDS.