Civil liability of credit rating agencies - regulatory all-or-nothing approaches between immunity and over-deterrence

The European Commission recently put forward a proposal for a regulation to amend and strengthen the 2009 version of the EU's rules on the regulation of credit rating agencies ("CRA3"). Among other things, Art. 35a of the draft proposal introduces strict liability for rating agencies. This liability proposal is at odds with the aim to strengthen competition in the rating sector and could have a chilling effect on capital markets. The paper analyses existing rules on civil liability of rating agencies under different legal systems. Subsequently, the provision under Art. 35a of the Draft Proposal is examinded more closely. Suggestions on possible improvemts of the proposal are made

Dokumentation der Kaisha-Datenbank - Zur Datenbank der Jahresabschlüsse japanischer Industrieaktiengesellschaften 1970-1997

Die vorliegende Dokumentation vermittelt einen umfassenden Einblick in die Systematik der Kaisha-Datenbank. Sie soll interessierten Lesern einen Überblick über die Grundstruktur der Datenbank geben. Neben einer Darstellung des Aufbaus erfolgt die Beschreibung der Vorgehensweise bei Reformen der Rechnungslegung und der Schaffung einheitlicher Zeitreihen. Exkurse geben Auskunft über Besonderheiten der japanischen Rechnungslegung und Datenquellen. Im Anhang werden alle in der Datenbank enthaltenen Unternehmen mit Wertpapiercode aufgeführt und nach Branchen klassifiziert. -- This documentation provides an overview on the system of the Kaisha Database, a large database of Japanese manufacturing firms. It provides researchers interested in the database a closer look at the basic structure, which is described as well as the procedures used to create time series and to deal with reforms of the accounting system. The excursuses give information on the Japanese accounting system and several data sources. In the appendix all firms are listed according to their security code and the industry they belong to.