Small is beautiful? Capital market funding for sub-sovereign authorities on the rise

Sub-sovereign bonds are a segment that has attracted little attention to date. Bonds are the dominant form of funding for Germany's Länder, though, and they also play an important role for the regions in Spain. While the Länder benefit from Germany’s excellent sovereign rating, only those Spanish regions not forced to request financial assistance from the central government at the height of the debt crisis have recently been able to obtain financing via the capital market. In France the issuance by the municipalities is likely to increase due to the newly established Agence France Locale. A local authority finance agency is also in the process of being introduced in the United Kingdom. The importance of the sub-sovereign bond market crucially depends on country-specific institutional arrangements.

OECD: Tax: Fiscal federalism network: OECD Fiscal Decentralisation Database http://www.oecd.org/tax/federalism/oecdfiscaldecentralisationdatabase.htm

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