How was the Banking Union, the most advanced legal and institutional integration in the single market, created? How does European law impact European integration? To answer these questions, this book provides a sweeping account of the evolution of European law. It identifies five integration periods of the single financial market, intertwined with the development of global finance, from its origins, through its expansion and crisis, to the Banking Union. Each period is defined by innovations to deepen integration, such as the single passport for financial services, soft governance and comitology, agencies, or a single rulebook. Providing a far-reaching explanation of the legal and institutional rationality of the European Banking Union, this book demonstrates that the Banking Union is not an accident of history or simply the product of the existential crisis of the Monetary Union. It has deep roots in the evolutionary process of European law and its drive towards supranational integration.

This dissertation is driven by two research questions. First, what was the role played by European law and institutions in the evolution of the single financial market? Second, how can such evolution explain the creation of the Banking Union, where national competences were ultimately centralised at European level? In order to answer these questions, the dissertation provides the legal history of the Banking Union, starting with the first steps towards a single financial market in 1973 and ending with the creation of the Banking Union in 2013 and its evolution by 2018. The research into this history led to the identification of five phases of market integration. Each phase is characterized by the introduction of distinct legal and institutional innovations - such as the single passport in financial services - aiming at moving forward the integration of the single financial market. Such innovations were often at the boundaries of what could be achieved under the Treaty, while being politically acceptable to Member States. Therefore, the innovations represented in each historical period the outcome of an equilibrium between the expansion of European competences and the safeguarding of national sovereignty. These equilibria remained, however, unstable, as the increasing market integration was not captured by either limited European competences or constrained national sovereignty. Over time, increasing integration led to a build-up of risks, but without a European stabilisation capacity. The risks materialised with the 2007/2008 financial crisis followed by the sovereign debt crisis of the euro area in 2010. Since risk-sharing was excluded in both the single financial market and the Monetary Union, there was a rapid dis-integration process. The soft governance arrangements failed in preventing and managing the crises. The Banking Union then emerged to prevent dis-integration by centralising executive competences, with many legal and institutional implications for European integration. It stopped, however, short of introducing risk-sharing among Member States, despite the significant distributional effects it is bound to have. Together with concerns about the democratic legitimation of such effects, this is the main challenge to its future.

In 2012, at the height of the sovereign debt crisis, European decision makers pushed for developing an 'ever closer union' with the formation of a European Banking Union (BU). Although it provoked widespread debate, to date there has been no coherent discussion of the political and constitutional dimensions of the European Banking Union. This important new publication fills this gap. Drawing on the expertise of recognised experts in the field, it explores banking union from legal, economic and political perspectives. It takes a four-part approach. Firstly, it sets the scene by examining the constitutional foundations of banking union. Then in parts 2 and 3, it looks at the implications of banking union for European integration and for democracy. Finally it asks whether banking union might be more usefully regarded as a trade-off between integration and democracy. This is an important, timely and authoritative collection.

This handbook analyses the European Banking Union legal framework focusing on legislative acts (regulations and directives), case law and the resolution procedures. In addition, it will pay attention to the division of responsibilities between the ECB and the national authorities, with special attention to the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) and the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM). To give a more complete picture, the book will also cover the implementation of European Deposit Insurance Scheme (so called third pillar) still under construction, and appeal to academics, researchers and students of banking and financial law.

The European Banking Union and the Role of Law offers a comprehensive and unique examination of the European Banking Union’s (EBU) impact on existing legal disciplines and assesses the role of law in shaping the EBU framework.

Presenting a sweeping analysis of the legal foundations, institutions, and substantive legal issues in EU monetary integration, The EU Law of Economic and Monetary Union serves as an authoritative reference on the legal framework of European economic and monetary union. The book opens by setting out the broader contexts for the European project - historical, economic, political, and regarding the international framework. It goes on to examine the constitutional architecture of EMU; the main institutions and their legal powers; the core legal provisions of monetary and economic union; and the relationship of EMU with EU financial market and banking regulation. The concluding section analyses the current EMU crisis and the main avenues of future reform.

The establishment of Banking Union represents a major development in European economic governance and European integration history more generally. Banking Union is also significant because not all European Union (EU) member states have joined, which has increased the trend towards differentiated integration in the EU, posing a major challenge to the EU as a whole and to the opt-out countries. This book is informed by two main empirical questions. Why was Banking Union - presented by proponents as a crucial move to 'complete' Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - proposed only in 2012, over twenty years after the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty? Why has a certain design for Banking Union been agreed and some elements of this design prioritized over others? A two-step explanation is articulated in this study. First, it explains why euro area member state governments moved to consider Banking Union by building on the concept of the 'financial trilemma', and examining the implications of the single currency for euro area member state banking systems. Second, it explains the design of Banking Union by examining the preferences of member state governments on the core components of Banking Union and developing a comparative political economy analysis focused on the configuration of national banking systems and varying national concern for the moral hazard facing banks and sovereigns created by euro level support mechanisms.

This incisive book is an accessible guide to the laws and policies relating to economic and monetary union (EMU). Providing a rich, multidisciplinary analysis, it combines historical, legal and economic perspectives to offer a detailed understanding of how EMU has developed since its inception and how it works in practice today. This book will be a valuable reference for those teaching and studying advanced courses on EU law, as well as courses that cover the economic history of EU integration.

Part of the Oxford EU Financial Regulation Series, this work analyses the implications of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) and the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) for banks in Europe, and the second edition reflects the experience in practice of this regime both economically and legally. The new edition provides reflection on the efficacy and problems with the central banking regulatory regime. There are new chapters on capital adequacy, fit and proper testing under the SSM, and deposit guarantee schemes. A further additional chapter considers the impact of the Bank Resolution and Recovery Directive (BRRD) and its interaction with the SRM by detailed analysis of relevant case law. Whist offering insightful updates to existing chapters on the Single Rulebook, CRD IV, the SSM and the SRM, the second edition also includes brand new chapters covering a range of subjects. Unique to the second edition, experienced scholars and practitioners explore The Deposit Guarantee Scheme, fit and proper testing within the SMM, BRRD and SRB in practice. This book benefits from the contributions of a team of leading scholars and practitioners who present a range of perspectives and methodologies. Case studies and in depth-analysis is presented to highlight topics such as supervised credit institutions, implications for financial market governance, and risk management and compliance. European Banking Union (second edition) is the ultimate companion for academics, legal practitioners, financial supervisors, and policy makers.

Presenting a sweeping analysis of the legal foundations, institutions, and substantive legal issues in EU monetary integration, The EU Law of Economic and Monetary Union serves as an authoritative reference on the legal framework of European economic and monetary union. The book opens by setting out the broader contexts for the European project - historical, economic, political, and regarding the international framework. It goes on to examine the constitutional architecture of EMU; the main institutions and their legal powers; the core legal provisions of monetary and economic union; and the relationship of EMU with EU financial market and banking regulation. The concluding section analyses the current EMU crisis and the main avenues of future reform.