Banking regulation in the spotlight

The University of East Anglia`s Centre for Competition Policy has been hailed as a world authority on business and financial regulation. It employs 14 faculty members and 15 research students from the schools of economics, social studies, law, business and politics.

Our high-quality interdisciplinary research into competition policy has real-world relevance

Catherine Waddams

Director

CCP

Now, in recognition of its growing influence, it has been awarded a £4.3m Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) grant, backed by £1 million from the university itself.

At its fifth annual summer conference, scheduled for June, the centre will focus attention on one of the issues at the heart of the banking crisis - agreements and tacit collusion.

This will expand over the next five years to include research on how different regimes handle markets and mergers, and how they should best be regulated.

And with an eye on the credit crunch and worsening recession, it will also investigate the role that consumers play in ensuring that markets continue to function.

Says centre director Catherine Waddams: “Our high-quality interdisciplinary research into competition policy has real-world relevance. Competition and regulation policy are already under increased pressure in the current difficult global economic environment, and high-quality independent research will be even more important to inform policymakers in the difficult time ahead.”

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