The FSAP took place against the background of a fast-evolving financial sector in Ireland and heightened uncertainty in the global economy. The Irish financial landscape has undergone significant changes since the global financial crisis with increasing divergence between an innovative and fast-growing international finance sector and the retail banking sector that has been consolidating and faces post-GFC operating restrictions and increasing competition from non-bank players. In the meantime, both the global pandemic and Brexit have left uneven marks across the economy, while there are risks from the unwinding of public support that has softened COVID-19 shock’s impact on the economy. Going forward, various ongoing and emerging risks, such as persistent inflationary pressures, fueled by supply bottlenecks, and the war in Ukraine, may impede recovery, and magnify vulnerabilities to downside shocks.

The fifth edition of this directory supplies data on over 1000 financial institutions in Western Europe, principally banks, investment companies, insurance companies and leasing companies. Among the details given are names of chairman and board members and positions of senior management.

Handbook of International Insurance: Between Global Dynamics and Local Contingencies analyzes key trends in the insurance industry in more than 15 important national insurance markets that represent over 90 percent of world insurance premiums. Well-known academics from Europe, the Americas and Asia examine their own national insurance markets, including the competitive structure, product and service innovations, and regulatory developments. The book provides academics and executives with an unprecedented range of information about today’s insurance markets. This book also provides important 'new' information on the evolution of the financial sector worldwide and comprehensive chapters on reinsurance, Lloyd’s of London, alternative risk transfer, South and East Asian insurance markets, and European insurance markets. Setting the stage is an overview chapter by the editors focusing on overall conclusions on globalization.

The book identifies different national characteristics in terms of the motivation to privatise, the scale of privatization and its consequences. In the opening chapters there is a detailed overview of the theoretical economic issues involved in privatisation and an assessment of privatization across the EU. The remaining ten chapters contain national case studies of EU countries which review the history of state ownership and privatization in each of these countries and evaluate the extent of privatisation. The role of European Commission directives in deregulating markets and stimulating privatisation is also examined.