EU Wants Tougher Rules for Ratings Agencies

A European Union plan to impose tougher rules on credit rating agencies is “dangerous” as it is bound to limit the “quality and independence” of the rating process, the president and chief operating officer of Moody’s Investor Services told Le Figaro newspaper.

“I see it as reflecting an obsession to challenge the rating process itself, and to hold rating agencies responsible for the European debt crisis,” Michel Madelain said in an interview.

“These proposals cannot make investors confident again nor facilitate the access of companies and European states to credit markets,” he added.

The European Union on Tuesday unveiled plans to shake up credit rating agencies, although it shelved for now a divisive move for temporary “blackouts” on some sovereign ratings.