The Securities Settlement System (NBB-SSS)
News
COVID-19:
The NBB-SSS have decided to waive the regular “Handling charges” for all new Service contracts according to NBB-SSS Terms & conditions Annexes Annex 19.1 in order to support new issuances and economic resilience in this time of need. The NBB-SSS will not charge the regular handling charges until 30/6/2021.
In addition, the NBB-SSS will not charge any of all “Issuance fees” of Annex 19.1 indefinitely for Green, Social and Sustainability bonds for financing of investments that provide environmental and social benefit. This decision fits in the NBB’s Green Bank policy.
Introduction
This system enables the processing of transactions on both the primary market (on which new securities are issued) and the secondary market (on which financial instruments already in circulation are exchanged). The total outstanding amount held on account is comprised mainly of securities issued by the Belgian Government, such as treasury certificates (short-term securities), linear bonds (OLOs) and strips. It also comprises short and long-term securities issued by other government bodies or by private issuers residing both in Belgium or abroad. Non Belgian Government issues are managed by issuing agents, who are participant at NBB-SSS and whose cash accounts are used for corporate actions.
General
Settlement
The system ensures the settlement of transactions based on instructions sent by the two counterparties. It also ensures that delivery of and payment for the securities are effected simultaneously and irreversibly (delivery against payment principle). The system settles transactions on gross basis. The system also manages the collection and refunding of taxes on the securities (X/N system), both at the time of settlement of a transaction and when the proceeds are paid.
All participants can manage their instructions and their positions by means of Ramses. Direct participants have an additional access to T2S platform that also reflects this information.
Cash Provision for Settlement
The NBB-SSS operates on T2S. Subsequently, both the cash and securities’ sides of "delivery versus payment" transactions are settled in full on the T2S platform. The cash funds held on the Dedicated Cash Accounts will be used for settling DVP transactions as well as corporate actions. Cash settlement on T2S is available through DCAs in Euro and DKK. Provision of EUR cash on DCAs shall be executed through TARGET2, provision of DKK cash on DCAs shall be executed through the DKK RTGS-system KRONOS2.
Central Securities Depositories Regulation compliance
As CSD operated by a NCB, the NBB-SSS does not need an authorization (cfr. Art 1§4 of the EU regulation No 909/2014 saying that Art 16 (CSD authorization), among others, do not apply to CSD operated by NCBs of the ESCB).
Nevertheless, the NBB Board decided to request the NBB Oversight to perform an assessment of the NBB-SSS against the CSD-R. The NBB-SSS was assessed to comply with the CSDR requirements at the end of March 2018 and the results of this assessment were published in the Financial Market Infrastructures and Payment Services Report 2018.
On-boarding Procedure
Should you wish to become a Participant in the NBB-SSS, follow the on-boarding procedure.
System Working Days
In principle, the settlement system operates on a daily basis except on Saturdays, Sundays and the other days on which the T2S is closed.
Key Documents and Lists
Rule Book
- Terms and Conditions (01/06/2020)
- Terms and Conditions (01/02/2021)
- Annexes to the Terms and Conditions of the Securities settlement system of the NBB
SWIFT
- SWIFT User Guide Ramses - version 3.3 (January 2017)
NBB-SSS Participants
- Participant Identification Form
- Participant and Account static data Form
- Instructions on behalf
- List of NBB-SSS participants
- List of NBB-SSS investor CSDs
Issuance
- Private issuance information sheet - version 2.5
- Business Day Conventions
- Service contract for the issuance of fixed income securities
- Issuer Information Sheet
- IP Summary
- Security Information Form
- Coupon Form
- Corporate action timing (03/03/2016)
- List of securities: (pdf - 1000k) (xls - 750k)
- Eligible OLO's for coupon stripping (pdf - 17k)
- Issuance fees simulator (xlsm - 128k)
- Current issuance programs: (pdf - 100k) - (xlsx - 96k)
- Current Paying Agents
Corporate Actions
- List of securities matured next month (pdf - 257k)
- Coming Corporate Actions (xls - 81k)
- List of next month coupons (pdf - 93k)
Foreign Currencies
- Infosession Presentation (12/11/2019)
- Infosession Presentation (12/06/2020)
- DVP Transactions and Corporate Actions - End User Manual
- Foreign Cash Account Form
- POA FCA/DTA
Statistics and Figures
- Outstanding amount (pdf - 45k)
- Primary market: evolution (pdf - 43k)
- Secondary market: evolution (pdf - 45k)
- Secondary market: settlement rate (pdf - 80 k)
- Corporate actions: evolution (pdf - 37k)
Other Documents
Projects
Mandatory Migration ISO 20022
- Start Mandatory Migration ISO 20022
- Update July 2020 Mandatory Migration ISO 20022
- MyStandards for NBB-SSS Participants
- Volume ISO 15022 and ISO 20022
- Infosession Presentation (12/11/2019)
- Infosession Presentation (12/06/2020)
- Certification Form for RAMSES v2.0
CMH Corporate Action Harmonisation
CSD-R Settlement Discipline
Governing Bodies
Management Committee
Risk Committee
User Committee
TARGET2 - Securities (T2S)
- ECB T2S website: www.t2s.eu
- T2S Release Scoping
- T2S List of Change Requests
- NBB-SSS – Adaptation Plan – version 3.6 (January 2016)