EU grants market access for U.S. securities clearing houses

LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Clearing houses for securities in the United States will be allowed to serve investors in the European Union, the bloc's executive European Commission said on Wednesday.

"This decision is a significant first step in the process of recognising U.S. central counterparties registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the European Union," the EU's financial services chief Mairead McGuinness said in a statement. (Reporting by Huw Jones)