Weber speaks on the implications of Financial Regulation

11 March 2011

Speaking at the University College of London Economics and Finance Society, Prof Weber, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, said Basel III rules will serve as the first line of defence against a systemic crisis.

Weber discussed the need for globally harmonised regulation, Basel III and how best to handle systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs).

He called SIFIs a "special issue" and suggested only globally active institutions should be addressed by an international SIFI regime. He noted that the issue of how properly to identify systemically relevant institutions becomes increasingly complex and contentious when turning to a lower, national level. Weber also identified the regulation of the shadow banking sector as a priority and called for a better definition of shadow institutions and improved regulation to reduce systemic risk.

Full speech