Banking integration in Europe

The paper studies the evolution and determinants of banking integration across European countries, including New Member States, with attention to the impact that the Euro might have on that process. It is the first time that banking integration is being studied using the data on international consolidated banking assets provided by the BIS. The paper also presents empirical evidence on the determinants of the flow of foreign banking assets across countries of the EU and the Euro area. Banking integration in Europe is still low but it progresses over time. The empirical evidence also shows that integration is affected by both, competitive and institutional conditions so it can not be viewed as a uniform and balanced process across all countries. Finally, evidence is provided indicating that the introduction of the Euro has changed the pace and trend of European banking integration