This note discusses the basic economics of central clearing for derivatives and the need for a proper regulation, supervision and resolution of central counterparty clearing houses (CCPs). New regulation in the U.S. and in Europe renders the involvement of a central counterparty mandatory for...

With the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in full swing, banks face a challenging environment. They will need to address disappointing results and adverse balance sheet restatements, the intensity of which depends on the evolution of the euro area economies. At the same time, vulnerable...

Over the past decade, the Single Supervisory Mechanism focused on making banks safer, resulting in stronger banks but limited euro area cross-border integration. We argue that overbanking hinders both cross-border integration for the EU and the development and integration of capital markets. In...