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The Countercyclical Capital Buffer of Basel III: A Critical Assessment

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We provide a critical assessment of the countercyclical capital buffer in the new regulatory framework known as Basel III, which is based on the deviation of the creditto- GDP ratio with respect to its trend. We argue that a mechanical application of the buffer would tend to reduce capital requirements when GDP growth is high and increase them when GDP growth is low, so it may end up exacerbating the inherent pro-cyclicality of risk-sensitive bank capital regulation. We also note that Basel III does not address pro-cyclicality in any other way. We propose a fully rule-based smoothing of minimum capital requirements based on GDP growth.

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  • Rafael Repullo & Jesús Saurina, 2011. "The Countercyclical Capital Buffer of Basel III: A Critical Assessment," Working Papers wp2011_1102, CEMFI, revised Jun 2011.
    • Handle: RePEc:cmf:wpaper:wp2011_1102
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    1. Repullo, Rafael & Suarez, Javier, 2008. "The Procyclical Effects of Basel II," CEPR Discussion Papers 6862, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Gabriel Jimenez & Jose A. Lopez & Jesus Saurina, 2009. "EAD calibration for corporate credit lines," Working Paper Series 2009-02, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
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    9. Gordy, Michael B. & Howells, Bradley, 2006. "Procyclicality in Basel II: Can we treat the disease without killing the patient?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 395-417, July.
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    12. Jesús Saurina, 2011. "Working Macroprudential Tools," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Stijn Claessens & Douglas D Evanoff & George G Kaufman & Laura E Kodres (ed.), Macroprudential Regulatory Policies The New Road to Financial Stability?, chapter 12, pages 157-180, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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