This paper reviews the impact of policies to address banking sector weaknesses through the first months of 2009. At the time of this assessment, central bank intervention had successfully addressed pressures on bank liquidity, but the underlying financial position of financial institutions,...

Financial markets in Euroland differ from those of a national monetary union in two regards. First, capital markets in general and banking markets in particular show a greater degree of segmentation than national financial markets as a result of information costs and regulatory barriers to full...