Banking privatisation represents one of the major forces which are significantly changing the banking sector in Europe. Studying the process of banking privatisation thus helps to understand the dynamics of the sector. This book analyses - from the perspective of both commercial banking and investment banking - the various processes of banking privatisation in Europe and their effects on the strategies and structures of banks. In its theoretical part, the book considers technical and financial aspects of banking privatisation from Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Germany, and Russia. An indispensable reading for investment bankers, regulators as well as policy-makers responsible for the existence of efficient and stable banking systems.

The postal systems in Europe, as well as in other industrialised and non industrialised countries, are currently undergoing radical changes in their institutional set-up, competitive behaviors, productive and distributive processes, range of services offered. The study of these changes and of the strategic options that become available to the different operators in this field is interesting. And this is so not only per se for the postal system but also in the perspective of the banking system and for the wider financial field, which interacts with the postal sector within a framework of competion and collaboration.

The recent turmoil on financial markets has made evident the importance of efficient liquidity risk management for the stability of banks. The measurement and management of liquidity risk must take into account economic factors such as the impact area, the timeframe of the analysis, the origin and the economic scenario in which the risk becomes manifest. Basel III, among other things, has introduced harmonized international minimum requirements and has developed global liquidity standards and supervisory monitoring procedures. The short book analyses the economic impact of the new regulation on profitability, on assets composition and business mix, on liabilities structure and replacement effects on banking and financial products.

Banking privatisation represents one of the major forces which are significantly changing the banking sector in Europe. Studying the process of banking privatisation thus helps to understand the dynamics of the sector. This book analyses - from the perspective of both commercial banking and investment banking - the various processes of banking privatisation in Europe and their effects on the strategies and structures of banks. In its theoretical part, the book considers technical and financial aspects of banking privatisation from Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Germany, and Russia. An indispensable reading for investment bankers, regulators as well as policy-makers responsible for the existence of efficient and stable banking systems.

After the positive experience made in 1999, with the research and consequent publication of the volume "Banking Privatisation in Europe. The Process and the Consequences on Strategies and Organisational Structures," published by Springer-Verlag, we have decided to set up a new group of researchers to study the present changes within the European postal systems and the privatisation developments. Starting from our competencies and specific knowledge - financial markets and management of bank intermediaries - our research has basically focussed onto the posts' financial services offer and their future perspectives. The subject is particularly interesting considering the radical changes, which are giving to 'the postal activity and the competition itself a new profile. And this reality paves the way to new opportunities in the market segment of financial services for retail customers and, at the same time, it brings in new threats. Our approach is the approach of compared analysis in Europe in order to detect common trends in the development or possible specific features, as well as positioning perspectives of the different national Posts in the single market of financial services. Our working group has benefited from the collaboration of researchers and experts with different nationality, university education and experience. Eminent representatives of postal companies, regulation and control bodies, banks and financial institutes have been interviewed and have allowed precious elements to deepen our knowledge and capacity of interpreting the present trends.