The purpose of this is to establish simple, fast and affordable out-of-court settlement procedures for consumers and protect relations between businesses and their customers.

Low value payment instruments should be a cheap and easy-to-use alternative in the case of low-priced goods and services and should not be overburdened by excessive requirements.

That the onset of the crisis could be delayed so long was a reflection of the fact that, as part of the group, Landesbank Berlin benefited from the comprehensive state guarantees, institutional liability and guarantor liability and refinanced the whole group, irrespective of the true business risks, at little cost on the capital markets and that the economic effect of institutional liability and guarantor liability was extended via private-law guarantee vehicles to other group companies, thereby making possible many transactions which made no sense for the bank.

Already in 1990, the Commission gave an in-depth analysis of the problem in 1990 (COM(90)447 - "Payments in the European Single Market") emphasising that in the 90s structures were established to ensure payment services between Member States which are as inexpensive, quick and reliable as domestic systems.

On both counts the presence of large numbers of illegal residents has a negative influence - as a source of cheap labour, liable to exploitation and in the long-term preventing necessary structural reform and thereby contributing to the inefficiency of the labour market.

On both counts the presence of large numbers of illegal residents has a negative influence - as a source of cheap labour, liable to exploitation and in the long-term preventing necessary structural reform and thereby contributing to the inefficiency of the labour market.