Accordingly, as supervisors we should test principles, theories and procedures against the reality of events in financial systems. Both within and outside Spain, last year provided us with representative cases of weaknesses that leave no room for complacency and which require fresh thought and responses. The rest of my speech will deal with these aspects. Let me begin by noting that no new initiative it is sought to take in this field may be considered in isolation. It must be part of a two-dimensional framework. First is the matter of international coordination, since in markets as interrelated as is currently the case, the stability and behaviour of the system has an international facet. And second is the multi-disciplinary dimension, since, as revealed by the welter of problems I discussed in connection with the ENRON case, it is becoming increasingly evident that no banking supervision model may be expected to be efficient if the rest of the institutional apparatus underpinning the rationale of the market economy does not function properly. Among these institutional underpinnings, there are two which, although they affect all companies, I consider to be of particular importance for the workings of credit institutions and for their proper supervision. The first is the need to reinforce market discipline. On the basis of adequate, reliable and updated information compiled by companies, duly verified by independent auditors and impartially evaluated by analysts and rating agencies, such discipline should simultaneously act as a deterrent to and penalise imprudent, inappropriate or simply mistaken behaviour.
As a result, the Swiss economy has benefited from far more favourable monetary conditions than Germany, for example, which is subject to the same interest rate regime as those euro area countries in the process of convergence. Furthermore, the interest rate bonus has remained, partly because of the heterogeneous economic development of the euro area. Even if the international significance of the Swiss franc diminished, its unique character should strengthen in view of the increasing complexity and diversity of the euro area. The markets have correctly assessed this process. The development of the euro area also presents a challenge to the Swiss economy. In this context, Switzerland's monetary autonomy will remain a significant asset. BIS Review 16/2005  1