Raiffeisen Bank International would have to consider leaving Austria and relocating outside the EU if bank regulations resulted in an unlevel playing field, says its CEO, Dr Herbert Stepic. His greatest concern is over bonus payments, as he feels Raiffeisen is being lumped together with the big international investment banks, even though it was not exposed to the same kind of toxic assets when the crisis hit. The bank has a major part of its operations in central and eastern Europe.
"How can I compete in non-EU countries if I have to follow the EU regulations that don't apply to my competitors in those markets?" he asks.
