Handbook of Public Credit in Europe

Hans-Michael Heitmuller The financing of public funds has become a strongly competitive business. Within the EU, national boundaries for this sphere have been formally removed as well as important hindrances to the trade of goods and services. Deregulation and technological innovations have decreased the economic distance between the regions of the EU. With the transition to the Euro, a weighty step has been made in the direction towards a home market. It has become simpler and worthwhile for public borrowers to obtain comparative offers from over and beyond country borders. For the supplier, this field of business is marked by relatively low risks, a correspondingly modest personal capital requirement, but narrow margins as well. On the other hand, as well as language and social differences, there exist in actuality still many-sided market access thresholds on the basis of different institutional and instrumental framework data within the individual countries, especially inthe area of public funds. This will only change slightly in the foreseeable future. Reliable information about these special framework conditions is still in demand. It is an important factor of success in business politics.