protect domestic banks from foreign investors. A survey of the EU Commission indicates that the misuse of supervisory powers … and political interference is not only a barrier to cross-border consolidation in Italy, but in other EU countries as well … transparency of merger control. The main source of information is a questionnaire that was sent to the supervisors in the 25 EU …

reasons and formal errors’. Following these events, the EU Commission brought actions against Italy for infringement of the … questionnaire on banking regulation that was sent to the supervisory authorities in the 25 EU member countries between October 2006 …