Measurement of Systemic Risk in a Common European Union Risk-Based Deposit Insurance System: Formal Necessity or Value-Adding Process?

Abstract

Scientific discussions have emphasized that the main problem with the current deposit insurance system is that the current system does not evaluate the risks that banks assume to calculate the deposit insurance premiums in many countries of the European Union (E.U.). Thus, the prevailing system does not safeguard a sufficient level of stability in the banking system. Scientific studies show that the deposit insurance system should consider not only the risk indicators for individual banks, but it must also consider the systemic risk of banks that affects the stability of the banking system. Hence, the question arises as to whether measurements of systemic risk in a common E.U. risk-based deposit insurance system are a formal necessity or if they are a value-adding process. Expanding the discussion of scientists, this article analyzes how contributions to insurance funds would change the banks of Lithuania following the introduction of the E.U.’s overall risk-based deposit insurance system and after taking into consideration the additional systemic risk. The research results that were obtained provide evidence that the introduction of a risk-based deposit insurance system would redistribute payments to the deposit insurance fund between banks operating in Lithuania, and, thereby, would contribute to a reduction in the negative effects of the deposit insurance system and would improve the stability in the financial system.