Publication

This report analyzes credit markets and their regulation at the European level, including the harmonization of national provisions concerning consumer credit. The first section deals with the conceptual problems of analyzing consumer credit in the EU, focusing on credit, interest rates, households and lenders. The report then assesses European credit markets, documents differences in the level of savings of European households and the diffusion of consumer borrowing across EU countries. The author also examines EU policy, with a focus on the provisions relative to the total cost of credit.