The CME Group said it hopes to give traders in Europe easier access to currency futures and options, as it announced plans to make currencies products the first in line when it launches a London-based derivatives exchange in the second quarter of next year.

The CME already has a presence in Europe but the launch of a dedicated European entity means that non-US customers will be able to trade under the jurisdiction of the Financial Services Authority in the UK, as opposed to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees activity on the CME at the moment.