Le terme de "plan d'action" de l'UE pour les services financiers est impropre[en] 

The financial services sector is potentially one of the strongest motors of economic integration in Europe because of its ability to drive down the cost of finance and allocate it efficiently. Completion of Europe’s single market in financial services has always been high on Brussels’ list of priorities. Under the previous Commission headed by Romano Prodi, the EU designed and approved more than 40 measures, which together formed the Financial Services Action Plan (FSAP), that is now being implemented by member countries. The aim is to create harmonised rules in banking, investment, insurance and a range of other markets such as derivatives and commodities.

But while the EU can draw satisfaction from this ambitious project, the FSAP has not won universal acclaim. It has been criticised as over-weighty and ill-suited to the fast-changing world of international finance. Many of its measures are seen as the product of political compromise rather than a desire to produce the best possible rules for Europe. These shortcomings are felt particularly keenly in London, Europe’s largest international financial marketplace, which does not fit easily into a harmonised framework because of its exceptional size and position.

The weaknesses of the FSAP have been acknowledged by the new Commission.Charlie McCreevy, the Irish Commissioner who is in charge of the internal market, has said: "If needed, the Commission will not hesitate to propose to modify or even repeal measures that are not delivering the intended benefits." He is now receiving comments with a view to following up on that commitment.

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