The development and integration of financial markets is at the forefront of academic and policy debates around the world. Nowhere is this more in evidence than in Europe where the integration of financial markets is a primary objective of the European Commission and fully supported by the...

This paper provides an overview of the issue. It considers the existing structure of financial regulation, the deficiencies that were encountered during the financial crisis, and the proposed reforms. It discusses whether these are likely to be adequate and argues that there are fundamental...