This paper introduces the topic of Europe's changing financial landscape and highlights the findings of the contributions to this volume of the EIB Papers. Key points emerging from this overview include: (i) a variety of factors are reshaping Europe's finance, notably the Single Market, EMU,...

The 1992 "Single Market" failed to create a real single market for financial services across Europe. However, the boom in bond issuance (stimulated by EMU) and the coincidental equity issuance boom have both led to dramatic changes in the infrastructure of financial markets. So, the EU is well...

A healthy and developing financial sector is a key support to balanced and sustainable economic growth. And as the countries of central Europe - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - approach EU membership and ultimately adoption of the euro, the litmus test for financial...

The launch of the euro proved to be extraordinarily smooth - auguring well for its future. If the EU can build on this initial success, then citizens - from anywhere in the world - should come to recognise the euro as a robust 'store of value' for their savings. That should complete the...

With the successful launch of the euro, the previously national interbank bank markets have been integrated at once in a unified euro interbank market, outstanding public debt has been redenominated in euro, trading conventions harmonised, and all EMU stock markets have started quoting in euro....

The process that so many people are envisaging for EU capital markets may be summarised approximately as follows: The single currency will eliminate currency risk. This will encourage a diversification by investors based upon other risk considerations. This will lead to a tremendous growth in...