As reported in The New York Times on Wednesday, the proposed rules are in line with those already put in place by the U.S., and are aimed at preventing economic destabilization in the wake of bank collapses.
Michel Barnier, commissioner for the European Union’s internal markets, said markets needed reassurance that Europe was using a single set of rules regarding short selling that would defend weaker economies.
France and Germany have blamed the selling of naked shorts for intensifying the economic problems of such countries as Portugal, Spain, and Greece; under the new rules, selling naked shorts could be restricted or even banned in some circumstances.