The extension of the programme is designed to further support trading development in this region.

Additionally, the product scope has been widened to include Eurex/EEX cooperation products consisting of futures and options on emission rights.

The development programme is aimed at traders who have not been active on Eurex before and want to expand their proprietary trading activities in Eurex products.

Under the extended scheme, traders in the eligible central and eastern European countries can trade up to 500,000 contracts per location (a maximum of five locations per member) in a 12-month period without incurring any trading and clearing fees.

If they are successful in achieving this threshold in the first 12 months, another 1,500,000 traded contracts are free of charge in year two.

Preconditions are that they are performing proprietary trading via order routing systems and are not yet admitted to trading on Eurex.

Applications for the programme will be accepted until 31 December 2009 to use the benefits until end of 2011.

The original trader development programme was introduced in July 2007. It intended to support the development of new traders in emerging markets as well as to support customers looking to expand their geographic reach. The programme supports this with fee waivers as well as education and training.