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Basel III divergence: why are standards diverging and is Europe disadvantaged?

Day 2 Morning

Thursday 17 September

Location :

ROOM 2

Speakers

Public Authorities
Ugo Bassi
Director, Banking, Insurance and Financial Crime - DG for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, European Commission
Philip Evans
Director Prudential Policy - Bank of England
Jonathan Overett Somnier
Acting Executive Director - European Banking Authority (EBA)
Fernando Restoy
Chair - Financial Stability Institute (FSI)
Michael Theurer
Member of the Executive Board - Deutsche Bundesbank
Stefan Walter
Chief Executive Officer - Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority
Industry Representatives
Hiroshi Ibaraki
Head of EMEA & Chief Executive Officer - SMBC Bank International plc
Frédéric Jacob Peron
Head of Public Affairs, Retail Banking - Société Générale
Elizabeth Wallace
Head of Regulatory Affairs for Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East - Standard Chartered Bank

Session overview

Objectives

As Basel III enters its final implementation phase, growing differences in prudential frameworks across major jurisdictions are raising questions about the future of global regulatory convergence and their implications for the competitiveness of European banks and their capacity to finance the European economy.

The first objective of the session is to assess whether the growing divergence in Basel III implementation reflects temporary differences in timing and calibration or a more fundamental divergence in prudential philosophy and supervisory architecture across major jurisdictions. The discussion should examine how differences in capital frameworks, supervisory approaches and implementation choices translate into effective capital requirements, competitive conditions and operational decisions for internationally active banks.

The second objective is to discuss how the EU should respond if global Basel III convergence no longer materialises. Particular attention should be paid to the balance between financial stability, international consistency and competitiveness, as well as to the interaction between external divergence and internal EU challenges, including the cumulative impact of the capital stack, market fragmentation, capital and liquidity mobility and the incomplete Banking Union.

Points of discussion

  1.  To what extent does Basel III divergence now reflect a broader divergence in prudential philosophy and supervisory architecture, and what are the consequences for the global competitiveness of EU banks?

  2.  How should the EU respond if global Basel III convergence no longer materialises, while preserving financial stability and supporting the financing needs of the European economy?