President Jose Manuel Barroso's call in the Financial Times for Europe to create a single banking regulation system and a financial backstop is highly significant: Germany is believed to support a move to create at least stage one of the union rapidly, ie common supervision, with 1 January 2013 mooted as the start date.

BBC: Eurozone banking union: The big bazooka

The advantage of the U.S. on the regulatory front, though, is its Federal organization, which leads to diverse incentive programs across states and insulates the industry from dependence on a single form of regulation.

FORBES: Solar Industry Rising: Can Energy's Fastest-Growing Sector Keep It Going?

Since then, the tide of opinion has moved against single-till price regulation.

ECONOMIST: Airports