Abstract. Taking into account the high importance of the banking activity for the economic system of any country - due to its functions as a payment mechanism, credit allocation or transmission vehicle of the monetary policy - its supervision on a prudential basis becomes an essential condition for enhancing the economic and financial health of any country. The Basel I Acord proposals gave special attention to the calculus of an optimum level of banking capitalization which was to be determined as a function of the aggregate level of risks to which each institution was exposing, in exercising its activities as financial intermediary. The objective of the Basel II new regulations was actually intended to improve the risk management of the banking system in order for it to take account of the new realities characterizing the present financial world: the uncertainty dominating this world as well as and the volatility of the flow of capitals.

Keywords: banking system; supervision on a prudential basis; optimum level of banking capitalization; aggregate level of risks; new regulations of the Basel II Acord.