Last week, the Alberta Securities Commission proposed amendments to various national instruments and certain Alberta Commission Rules intended to harmonize terminology with recently adopted (but not yet proclaimed into force) changes to the province's derivatives regulatory scheme under the Securities Act. The proposal would, for example, change references to "exchange contract" to the term "derivative".

As we've previously discussed, various provinces are currently in the process of adopting legislative changes to provide their securities regulators with the authority to regulate derivatives trading. Securities regulators have responded by developing regulatory proposals intended to utilize that authority while attempting to achieve a level of national harmonization.

The ASC is accepting comments on the proposals until August 23, 2014. The changes would come into force once the amendments to Alberta's Securities Act come into force.

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