While this definition describes a state of full, or perfect, integration, we know that in practice we are faced with a process. The two actors striving to foster financial integration are the market participants and the relevant public authorities. More specifically, the Eurosystem is of the view that financial integration first and foremost is a market-driven process.
In addition to this, we believe that it is a basic task of the relevant public authorities to create a framework that is conducive to fostering financial integration. If the opportunities this creates are exploited by market forces, true financial integration will have been achieved. 1  See the ECB’s website at http://www.ecb.int/ecb/html/mission.en.html.