International & World Report

The ax fell at 18 o'clock. No real surprise, most banks in Europe has successfully passed the stress tests or stress tests. The statements have increased in recent days on the expected results. The exercise was not without risk. If all banks successful tests, they lose their credibility. If too many banks fail, they will not recapitalize the markets.

Seven of the 91 major European banks subject to tests of resistance have been repositioned, said Friday the Committee of European Regulators (CEBS), which means they will raise funds to strengthen their position financière.Il are five banks Spanish (Civica Cajasur, Unnim, and Espiga Diada), a bank Greek (Atebank) and Germany's Hypo Real Estate.

European regulators have scrutinized the 91 largest banks in the European Union to ensure that their capital levels are sufficient to enable them to cope with shocks even more severe than the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, which sparked a near-collapse of global financial markets. Banks unable to maintain a ratio of Tier 1 capital of at least 6% by end 2011 in the hardest of these scenarios will be considered as having failed the tests.

France has fully passed the examination, the four banks involved in these tests (BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Credit Agricole and Banque Populaire BPCE-Caisse d'Epargne) have shown that they retain a sufficient level of funds in proportion The different scenarios.

The "brand of French banks is really a very strong resilience, welcomed Christian Noyer, governor of the Bank of France, with the results of these tests, commissioned by the European Commission and organized by the CEBS (Committee European Banking Supervisors). With these results, show that French banks "are among the strongest in Europe," says the Bank of France again. These results were "predictable" because they are "in line with results obtained in tests conducted regularly in France and the demonstrated ability of French banks weather the recent crisis", he added.

Banks were tested maintain a level of equity called "Tier One" (reported capital commitments of the bank) of 6% for the regulator considers that they had passed the test.However, tests have shown that if stress of a major financial crisis, the ratio of cumulative four French banks would fall to 9.3% at end 2011 against 9.9% in late 2009. For Christian Noyer, even in cases of "adverse scenario, the banks maintain a" level of income in 2010 and 2011 roughly the same as in 2009.