Implementing the single banking market in Europe

Financial integration of the European Community requires actions by both the EC and its member states to create a common EC-wide competitive and regulatory environment. This paper focuses on the EC's creation of the single market for retail banking services. It tracks the EC legislative process and the adoption of EC directives designed to create the single market. The study also examines some of the costs and benefits associated with the single banking market. This paper evaluates the EC's success in creating the single market by examining the rate of implementation by the member states of the EC single banking market directives. It concludes with an assessment of the European Community's progress toward its goal of a single banking market.