NASDAQ OMX is beefing up its European operations, expanding into Eastern Europe, and launching new derivatives in Norwegian stocks.

The exchange’s subsidiary, NASDAQ OMX Europe, said that it intends to offer trading in blue chip securities listed on stock exchanges of Budapest, Warsaw and Prague. Subject to regulatory approval, it expects to begin trading these securities in the first quarter of 2010.

“This extension is a natural evolution in our pan-European strategy,” said Charlotte Crosswell, president of NASDAQ OMX Europe.

Additionally, NASDAQ OMX Nordic announced that it will launch a new portfolio of Norwegian derivatives products, which will become available for trading on September 14. The new products include 15 single-stock derivatives, as well as contracts based on a new index, which includes the 20 most traded shares on Oslo Boers.

Hans-Ole Jochumsen, president NASDAQ OMX Nordic said, “Our Norwegian derivatives offering is in response to customer demand and part of our strategy to continually improve our Nordic offering. Earlier this year we launched trading in Norwegian equities, and it made sense to expand our offering with Norwegian derivatives. The contracts will be traded on the same liquid market as other prominent Nordic derivatives, including OMXS30 which today is one of the most traded indexes in Europe.”