The European Commission has hinted it favours a one-year delay to the EU's new trading rulebook in its entirety, given the complex task of only postponing problem areas of the new legislation.

The EU's executive body first conceded a delay to the revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive might be necessary at a hearing on November 10, in response to concerns from the European Securities and Markets Authority that its IT systems would not be ready for the planned 2017 start date.