CRD IV: An Asset for French and European Banks

The CRD IV package, which transposes Basel III in Europe, is an unprecedented effort to foster financial stability within the European banking system. Compared to what is being done in the United States, the implementation of Basel III is broader and more homogeneous. European institutions have already very significantly improved their financial situation. They are often as healthy and efficient as US banks, provided that discrepancies between the accounting and regulatory standards are correctly factored in. Indeed, the differences between the observed leverage ratios of European and American banks come from accounting standards for the most part.