Taking position from the recent 2007-2009 financial crisis, Credit Ratings and Market Over-reliance: An International Legal Analysis by Francesco De Pascalis provides an in depth legal and regulatory analysis of the concept of over-reliance in the use of ratings and how regulation facilitates over-reliance is different from mere reliance on credit ratings. Not only does the book provide an incisive doctrinal analysis of the concept of over-reliance, it also considers over-reliance from a comparative and international perspective by reviewing legal and regulatory developments under European Union and US law and how over-reliance has been addressed in international financial regulation.
Francesco De Pascalis, Ph.D. (2015) is lecturer in financial law at Brunel University London and associate research fellow at IALS University of London. He published several articles on the regulation of credit rating agencies in established journals, including Oxford Journals.
Foreword Preface List of Abbreviations
1 Reliance versus Over-reliance
â1.1âContextual Setting
â1.2âA Holistic Study of Over-reliance
â1.3âBook Structure
2 The âGoodâ Aspects of Credit Ratings: A Basis for Reliance
ââIntroduction
â2.1âThe Importance of Credit Ratings in the Financial Markets: The Reliance of the Private Sector
ââ2.1.1âThe Credit Rating Industry: Origins and Development
ââ2.1.2âCredit Ratings: Categories and Formation Process
ââ2.1.3âCredit Ratings as Opinions on Creditworthiness
ââ2.1.4âcra Informational Services
ââ2.1.5âThe cra Monitoring Services: Outlook and Watch-List Procedures
ââ2.1.6âUsers of cra Services
â2.2âThe Public Sectorâs Reliance on Credit Ratings
ââ2.2.1âcras as Certification Providers
ââ2.2.2âClarifying the Certification Function of cras
ââ2.2.3âUnderstanding the Regulatory Reliance on Credit Ratings
ââ2.2.4âMapping the Regulatory Use of Credit Ratings
ââConcluding Remarks
3 Reliance Versus Influence: A Roadmap toward the Risk of Over-Reliance
ââIntroduction
â3.1âNegative Effects of Rating Changes and the Role of Rating-Based Regulation
ââ3.1.1âDowngrades, Rating Triggers and Liquidity Problems
ââ3.1.2âCliff-Edge Effects and Herd Behaviours
ââ3.1.3âSystemic Risk and Spill-Over Effects Across Markets
ââ3.1.4âRating-Based Regulation and Its Implications: A Critical Review
ââConcluding Remarks
4 Over-Reliance on External Credit Ratings: In Search of a Meaning
ââIntroduction
â4.1âUnderstanding Over-Reliance on Credit Ratings
ââ4.1.1âDetecting the Phenomenon: Over-Reliance in the US Pre-crisis Regulatory Debate on CRAs
ââ4.1.2âOver-Reliance in the eu Pre-crisis Regulatory Debate on cras
ââ4.1.3âThe Sources of Over-Reliance: Rating-Based Regulation versus the Structured Finance Sector
ââ4.1.4âClosing the Gap: Defining Over-Reliance on External Credit Ratings
ââConcluding Remarks
5 Regulatory Approaches at the National, International and Regional Levels to Address Over-Reliance on Credit Ratings
ââIntroduction
â5.1âThe Evolution of the Regulatory Debate
ââ5.1.1âUS Level: Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Act: Reliance versus Over-Reliance
ââ5.1.2âThe fsb Principles for Reducing Reliance on Credit Ratings: Searching for Over-Reliance
ââ5.1.3âThe European cra Regulation iii: Confirming Over-Reliance
ââConcluding Remarks
6 Regulatory Approaches against Over-Reliance and Their Implementation
ââIntroduction
â6.1âIn Search of Effectiveness
ââ6.1.1âNormative Approaches in Focus
ââ6.1.2âImplementation Process in Focus
â6.2âThe Status of the us Reforms under Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Act
ââ6.2.1âThe Early Debate on Section 939A
ââ6.2.2âus Federal Agencies Reform Processes
ââ6.2.3âThe us Reforms: A Critical Review in Relation to the Risk of Over-Reliance
â6.3â The Status of the eu Reforms under the cra iii Regulation
ââ6.3.1âThe Work of the esas
ââ6.3.2âThe ebaâs, Mandate
ââ6.3.3âThe esmaâs Mandate
ââ6.3.4âPerspectives on the eu Approach in the Future
â6.4âThe eu Approach: A Critical Review
â6.5âA More Independent Credit Risk Analysis: From Theory to Practice
ââ6.5.1âThe Status of Implementation
ââ6.5.2âThe Second Level of the Approach: A Critical Review
ââConcluding Remarks
7 Reviewing the Debate on Over-Reliance and Approaches against it
ââIntroduction
â7.1âCredit Rating References and the âOfficial Seal of Approvalâ: What Has been Missed?
ââ7.1.1âcra Market Failures and Regulatory Interventions
ââ7.1.2âEvidence of Over-Reliance in the Structured Finance Sector
ââ7.1.3âEvidence of Over-Reliance on Credit Rating Legislative References
â7.2âAnticipating the Post-Crisis Debate on Over-Reliance
ââ7.2.1âcra Message to the Regulators
ââ7.2.2âcra Message to the Users of Credit Ratings
ââConcluding Remarks
8 Conclusions â8.1âTaking Stock of the Situation
ââ8.2âDeveloping an Assertion into Certainty: Providing Evidence of Over-reliance
ââ8.3âEncouraging More Dialogue and Coordination at All Levels
ââ8.4âEnsuring More of a Level-Playing Field among Credit Risk Assessment Tools
ââ8.5âLooking Ahead
ââConcluding Remarks
Bibliography Index
The book will be of interest to academics studying financial regulation from a legal and economic perspective. Equally, to doctoral, LLM students in financial law; and law/economic university libraries.