Capital punishment?

At a landmark meeting early this month, the Basel Committee will finalise its proposals for a host of measures, including counter-cyclical capital buffers and a leverage ratio. The consultation in early 2010 will be the industry’s last chance to fight back against the regulations. Will they succeed in forcing changes? By Joel Clark

The quarterly gatherings of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision are rarely subject to as much anticipation as this month’s meeting, scheduled for December 8–9. As senior regulators and central bankers descend on Basel, Switzerland to put the finishing touches to a bumper package of controversial changes to Basel II, observers are naturally anxious to see the detail of those reforms. When they are published, probably in early 2010, the industry will have a final chance to fight its corner