Eurex, ISE join OCC in options clearing link

BOCA RATON, Florida, March 12 (Reuters) - Eurex, the International Securities Exchange and the Options Clearing Corp. on Wednesday announced a translantic trading and clearing link that will allow Eurex customers to directly access ISE's U.S. options market.

The roughly 400 members of Frankfurt-based Eurex will have access to the suite of options products available at ISE and be able to execute orders in the ISE order book.

Subject to regulatory approvals the link is exepcted to be implemented by the second half of 2009.

The OCC is the central counterparty for all U.S. listed securities options contracts. Eurex is a unit of Deutsche Boerse (DB1Gn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) and bought New York-based ISE in 2007. (Reporting by Ros Krasny, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)