The year-long consultations on Basel II mirror the international popularity of capital requirements as a regulatory instrument. Yet, the impact of capital requirements on banks' behavior is not fully understood. The aim of this study is to contribute to this understanding by answering the...

Since the 1980s, competitive pressure has increased in the world economy. In addition to traditional trade flows, the globalisation of production and markets has greatly enhanced the complexity of the international division of labour. Declining transaction and information costs have stimulated...