PARIS, July 18 (Global Risk Regulator) – Global regulators today backed plans to force the world’s biggest banks to hold as much as 2.5% more in additional capital to help ensure taxpayers won’t have to bail them out if they fail.

LONDON, June 27 (Global Risk Regulator) – Bank shareholders may be asked to provide more capital for some banks as a result of global regulators’ plans to impose surcharges on systemically important banks, according to BNP Paribas bank.

ESMA chairman denies ‘fortress Europe’ approach to third countries, in interview with GRR. Spells out his priorities By Melvyn Westlake

Some of the recent developments generated by the financial crisis and the American regulatory reform agenda

BASEL – There is soon to be a lot of change at the top of the Basel Committee. Dutch chairman Nout Wellink is departing at the end of June, and Stefan Walter, the general secretary leaves at the end of October. It also seems likely that Jean-Claude Trichet, who heads the Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision that oversee the Basel Committee, will relinquish that post when he steps down as president of the European Central Bank (ECB).

LONDON – It is “essential that global financial firms have in place a risk appetite framework that enables senior executives and management to take an informed view about the amount of all types of risk that can be taken throughout the firm,” according to a top banker. Commerzbank chairman Klaus-Peter Müller was commenting on risk management reports issued in mid-May by the Institute of International Finance (IIF), a trade association representing some 430 global financial services firms.

BASEL – As a top global regulator underlined the key role that central banks will play in the new post-crisis world of macroprudential policy, a central bankers’ report warned that clarity is needed to reduce the risk of a mismatch between what the public expects and what a central bank can deliver.

LONDON – Insurers in the Netherlands are expected to continue lobbying European regulators for a further easing of the treatment of the country’s health insurance system under the forthcoming Solvency II insurer safety rules, according to credit rating agency FitchRatings.

WASHINGTON – Somewhat mixed messages seem to be emanating from the US administration over the size of the capital surcharge that is likely to be imposed on the biggest banks. In early June, Federal Reserve Board member Daniel Tarullo hinted that, on some calculations, the surcharge could range from 1.5% to more than 7%, depending on the “expected impact” that the failure of a major bank would have on the financial system. This surcharge would be on top of the 7% minimum core equity capital required under the proposed Basel III standard.

NEW YORK – Clearing houses that guard against counterparty credit risk in the global derivatives markets must be treated as systemically important financial institutions whose failure could threaten the whole financial system and involve taxpayers in rescuing them, according to a derivatives industry report*.