Covered bonds: Keep the champagne on ice in Italy

CHAMPAGNE CORKS WERE popping in Lisbon to herald the smooth passage of Portugal’s covered bond legislation. So Europe has yet another covered bond market, news that will have been greeted with a certain amount of resignation in Italy by both banks and regulators. It all looks so easy, but somehow Italy has made it look very, very difficult.

CHAMPAGNE CORKS WERE popping in Lisbon on October 2 to herald the smooth passage of Portugal’s covered bond legislation.

The country certainly took an unusual approach right from the start when it decided to kick off the process by passing a law that applies to one issuer alone, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. This law (article 5/18 of Law 296) was passed in September 2003 but it was not until March 2005 that CDP’s debut issue was launched – and panned.

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