The gloomy outlook for corporate credit in Europe has led banks to vote for a relaxation in the rules that excluded riskier companies from the junk-rated credit derivatives index run by Markit Group, the data provider said on Thursday.

The rule change increases the maximum risk premium, or spread, paid to protect a company’s debt against default via a credit default swap, before these derivatives are considered too risky to be in the so-called iTraxx Crossover.