ABSTRACT
I am very grateful to SUERF for having invited me to deliver one of the opening addresses of this Colloquium with a reflection on the role of financial-sector development. But the organizers have also saddled me with a task that represents a big intellectual challenge for somebody that does not work in Brussels: to place my reflection in the context of EU accession. I am glad that SUERF pushed me to take this perspective. In making myself familiar with recent EU policy work, I realized how much EU solutions could help realize the full benefits of the reforms the accession countries have started with World Bank and IMF assistance thirteen years ago. I ask for your prior forgiveness if some of my observations regarding EU solutions are off mark.
