Source: European Parliament
Over the past decade, Banking Union (BU) regulators focused on making banks safer, resulting in stronger banks but limited euro area cross-border integration. To attain the strong and integrated financial system Europe needs going forward, BU authorities must now broaden their focus, promoting cross-border banking by removing legislative barriers that prevent or discourage it. That goal requires reducing overbanking and limiting the national authorities’ regulatory power further. It also necessitates a Capital Markets Union (CMU) under a unified supervisory control. We argue that BU and CMU are complements in a strong and integrated European financial system, and that a successful launch of CMU presupposes progress towards an integrated BU.