Germany has introduced a new legislation for third country regulatory market-makers (RMMs), as part of an effort to ease market access in Europe and reduce bureaucracy for foreign industry participants.
Specifically, the Financial Centre Promotion Act – Standortfördergesetz – will prevent non-EU RMMs from having to establish a physical entity or seek an individual exemption in Germany to operate as a market maker on German regulated exchanges.
Through this reform, these RMMs will be able to participate directly in providing liquidity on these exchanges, removing a significant operational and financial barrier faced by many firms across the world, and marks a step towards creating a level playing field for financial hubs in the EU.
In addition, the move is also set to benefit exchanges such as Eurex, by boosting their role as a continental competitor, and aligns with the firm’s goal to strengthen liquidity and improve entry to European derivatives markets.
“This is a landmark development that directly reflects our long-term strategy of lowering access barriers and boosting liquidity,” said Robbert Booij, chief executive of Eurex.
“By removing a significant regulatory hurdle, we are opening the door for additional liquidity providers to access our exchange. This is not just a win for Eurex, but for all market participants who will benefit from more efficient and competitive markets.”
Eurex has also confirmed that it is currently working with firms across the UK, Switzerland, North America and Asia to support them in navigating the new legislation.
The introduction of the reform also complements recent efforts made by Eurex to enhance global participation and market efficiency.
In November 2025, the exchange introduced a new ‘Sponsored Access’ model, to enable its members to extend market access to their own end clients through their existing memberships.
The offering aims to broaden market accessibility to a greater variety of trading firms, by allowing existing Eurex members to use their membership to act as sponsors to give their own clients direct and ultra-low latency access to Eurex’s T7 platform and full connectivity suite.