What is the EMIR active account requirement and what must you report?
The active account requirement (AAR) obliges in-scope counterparties to hold active accounts at EU CCPs and clear a representative portion of euro- and Polish zloty-denominated interest rate derivatives through those accounts. On 13 April 2026 ESMA published the reporting templates and instructions that firms must use to demonstrate compliance.
Status · last updated 7 October 2026.
What the ESMA templates cover.
Essential reading for any firm clearing euro- or zloty-denominated interest rate derivatives through EU CCPs.
The templates define the specific data fields and reporting structure that in-scope counterparties must use to demonstrate compliance with the AAR under EMIR — the obligation to hold active accounts at EU CCPs and clear a representative portion of euro- and Polish zloty-denominated interest rate derivatives and short-term interest rate derivatives through those accounts. The accompanying instructions clarify how each field should be completed.
Who is in scope?
The AAR applies to financial counterparties and non-financial counterparties subject to the clearing obligation under EMIR that clear the specified derivatives classes above the relevant thresholds — ESMA’s own scoping language from the EMIR framework.
Two practical steps.
Map your current clearing data infrastructure against the ESMA template field list to identify gaps in data availability or granularity.
Review the published instructions against existing reporting workflows and reconfigure data collection where necessary, ahead of the applicable reporting dates.
Questions about the AAR.
What is the EMIR active account requirement (AAR)?
The obligation for in-scope counterparties to hold active accounts at EU CCPs and to clear a representative portion of euro- and Polish zloty-denominated interest rate derivatives and short-term interest rate derivatives through those accounts.
Who is in scope of the AAR?
Financial counterparties and non-financial counterparties subject to the EMIR clearing obligation that clear the specified derivatives classes above the relevant thresholds.
What did ESMA publish on 13 April 2026?
Reporting templates and instructions defining the data fields and structure that in-scope counterparties must use to demonstrate AAR compliance, including guidance on how each field should be completed.