Financial Integration in Europe (Financial and Monetary Policy Studies, 24)

One of the key issues relating to the perfonnance of national economies is the efficiency of the financial system which stands at the heart of the capital-allocation process. There are two aspects which define efficiency. Static efficiency involves the ali-in difference between rates of return provided to ultimate savers and the cost of funds to users. This 'gap', or spread, reflects the direct costs of production (operating and administrative costs, cost of capital, etc.). It also reflects losses incurred in the financial process, as well as any monopoly profits earned and liquidity premiums. Financial processes that are considered 'statically inefficient' are usually characterised by high 'spreads' due to high overhead costs, high losses, barriers to entry, and the like. Dynamic efficiency is characterised by high rates of financial product and process innovation through time. Successful product and process innovation broadens the menu of financial products available to ultimate issuers, ultimate savers, or other agents along the various financial process channels described above. Probably the most powerful catalyst affecting the competitive dynamics of the financial services industry has been technological change. The coordination of regulations in Europe is a process characterised by a huge amount of information in different forms (decisions, regulations, directives, recommendations and opinions), at various stages of consideration. While current developments are debated in the influential media, no coherent overview is offered of the European Community coordination efforts as a whole, nor of relationships with other international regulations produced, for example, in the framework of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Such an overview is essential in order to gain a proper understanding of the consequences for the various countries. Financial Integration in Europe, with a Foreword by Professor Ingo Walter of New York University and INSEAD, provides an overview of the core of European and BIS regulations insofar as these have been published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) and in official BIS documents up to April 1, 1992. This publication covers the liberalisation of capital movements in Europe and coordination efforts on credit institutions, investment firms, the securities market, undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities, insurance companies, and pension funds Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction, Summary and Consequences....Pages 1-23 Liberalisation of Capital Movements....Pages 25-47 Credit Institutions and Investment Firms....Pages 49-125 Securities Markets and Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS)....Pages 127-155 Insurance Companies....Pages 157-200 Pension Funds....Pages 201-202 Back Matter....Pages 203-204