Britain and Germany, 1992

This volume is the result of an 18-month research project conducted by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London and the Institut fur Europaische Politik, Bonn, which addressed two main questions: what kind of European market will emerge as a result of the 1992 process? and what impact will this have on the established national approaches to the regulation markets of Britain and Germany? The findings are based on over 150 interviews with companies, trade unions, and policymakers in Britain and Germany. There are five case-studies of areas in which 1992 will have a highly significant impact: mergers and acquisitions, public procurement, technical standards and certification, telecommunication, and financial services. The volume shows that 1992 will result in a net deregulation of European markets in these areas, but it also indicates where new European-level regulation is needed if the objectives of the single market are to be realized. It compares the German and British national approaches to market regulation and finds important differences.
However, market integration, accelerated by the 1992 process, is bringing about a slow but sure convergence of the two countries' attitudes.