The current crisis revealed the unsustainable levels of private sector indebtedness, fuelled by a prolonged period of rapid credit expansion during the upturn phase in some EU Member States. The subsequent deleveraging process now taking place, although necessary, stands as a source of concern...

This paper analyzes how the effects of the introduction of risk-based bank capital requirements on bank loan rates depend on the market structure of the banking industry. We show that, when granting loans to borrowers under Basel II or Basel III capital requirements, banks with market power...