CHICAGO, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CME Group released the following statement regarding today's proposal by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") to impose position limits in energy markets.

"CME Group supports equitable application of aggregate position limits across CFTC-regulated designated contract markets and exempt commercial markets, CFTC-recognized foreign boards of trade, and OTC energy market participants. Commencing with the CFTC's Hearing on Speculative Position Limits in Energy Markets held on July 28, 2009, and throughout the last several months, CFTC staff and Commissioners have worked hard to understand and incorporate important industry feedback regarding the manner in which position limits should be set and applied across all exchange-traded and over-the-counter energy markets.

"We will continue to analyze the new proposal in greater detail and participate in the CFTC's public comment process to ensure that the recommendations do not create unintended consequences that will push market users to unregulated markets beyond the reach of the CFTC. We will also continue to work with Members of Congress to enact legislation that will advance these same goals and ensure the proposed rules do not injure liquidity or hedging and trading opportunities for market users."

As the world's largest and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) is where the world comes to manage risk. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, including futures and options based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, weather and real estate. CME Group brings buyers and sellers together through its CME Globex® electronic trading platform and its trading facilities in New York and Chicago. CME Group also operates CME Clearing, one of the largest central counterparty clearing services in the world, which provides clearing and settlement services for exchange-traded contracts, as well as for over-the-counter derivatives transactions through CME ClearPort®. These products and services ensure that businesses everywhere can substantially mitigate counterparty credit risk in both listed and over-the-counter derivatives markets.

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SOURCE CME Group