The financial crisis revealed numerous shortcomings in the financial regulatory framework. In response, regulators worldwide started taking measures to tighten their grip on the sector. But their response has been met with lukewarm reviews by the leading industry practitioners in Europe, according to Financial News research.

Respondents to an annual survey by Financial News and the International Capital Markets Association gave regulators a score of 2.96 out of five for the speed with which they responded to the financial crisis. The scores for content, enforcement and implementation were 2.6, 2.51 and 2.48 respectively, broadly equivalent to a C and three Ds on a school report card.