Specific Aspects Of The Process Of Banking Concentration And Consolidation In The European Union

In this paper I proposed to anaylze the main aspect that characterized the process of bank concentration and consolidation in the European union, knowing their evolutions and particularities on the European and world bank sector and the effects that they have on the banks and the economy altogether. I presented the evolution of the number of banks, evolution that reflects the degree of consolidation of the bank system. Based on the financial crisis begun in 2008 the number of credit institutions decreased continuously as a consequence of the processes of bank mergers and acquisitions generated by the uncertainties of the economic perspectives. Also I analyzed the evolution of the degree of bank concentration in the European countries, process that underlines the degree of domination of the banking market accomplished by some great banks. We consider essential the knowing of this process because the increase of the bank concentration leads to the creating of some bank entities with very large dimensions, that in the periods of crisis can generate macro economic imbalances by involving the state in their subventioning. The research is based mainly on compiled statistic data offered by the European Central Bank (BCE), data that are published annualy and that were processed to be able to offer an overview on the most important modifications that took place in the European union and in its representative countries.