Profound changes have taken place in the role of banking in developed countries in recent years and further important structural alterations will doubtless follow. This study of European banking is the first to survey both the changing structure of the commercial banking industry in Europe and the strategic implications of these changes. The book begins by concentrating on the industrial economics of banking, presenting an analysis of the principal environmental forces affecting the financial sector: deregulation, economic instability, automation, and financial innovation. The second part offers valuable information on current trends in the five main EC countries. The analysis of each country includes a study of the recent evolution of its financial sector; and an overall assessment of the outlook for banking in terms of profitability, costs, productivity, and competition, as well as the changes in the regulatory environment. The third part of the book is dedicated to an analysis of some of the strategic choices of European banks, such as scale, diversification, and internationalization. Finally, the pace of change within the European banking industry is evaluated, as well as how some of the banks are adapting to the new environment.