PFSA and BaFin - Comparison of Institutional Framework in DynamicFinancial Markets

At present, theoretical debate in academic communities is ongoing concerning the structures and aims of the centralised supervisory offices. There are some arguments in favour of mergers of individual sector supervisors to create mega institutions and there are also some against it. The article presented below adds to this debate by presenting a more empirical approach aimed at comparing two super-supervisors the Polish PFSA and the German BaFin. The goal of this work is to compare and contrast both institutions and note any differences between, seemingly similar supervisory structures. The article begins with a theoretical explanation of most important terms and concepts related to the subject of financial supervision. Next, we describe the present day structure, aims and economic environment of the Polish PFSA and German BaFin. The following section is dedicated to comparison and contrast of peripheral supervisors’ activities. The final section is dedicated to drawing final conclusions.