Call for Papers: Financial Off-Shoring and Under-Grounding

In recent decades the increasing volume and fluidity of banking and financial markets has depended on the "neutrality" attributed to the capital handled in the markets, as far as its origin and final destination are concerned. Nevertheless, in a context where the war against organized crime, money laundering and terrorism finance has become a worldwide public priority, the end of capital neutrality poses an interesting dilemma: what relationship exists between the quest for efficient allocation of resources and safeguarding the integrity of financial flows themselves from the risks of contamination related to the activities of criminal organisations? How to regulate phenomena as the financial offshoring, the informal credit markets, and to contrast at the same time the financial crime?

The Workshop will focus on the economics of grey an black finance. We wish to invite theoretical and empirical papers that explore different areas of interest, including: financial offshoring, underground and informal banking, money laundering, terrorism finance, usury, financial crime and law enforcement.

Papers will be presented in a plenary presentation of 30 minutes each, followed by a 15 minutes of discussion. Overall participation at the Workshop will be limited to 30 people. All copyrights of the papers will be retained by the authors.

The Workshop will take place at the Bocconi University in Milan, on October, 12, 2007. The Bocconi University will refund economy-class travel expenses and will cover accommodation for paper presenters and discussants.

Authors are invited to submit electronically (MS Word or PDF format) a complete paper. The first page of the paper should contain the title; name of the author(s), complete address, telephone, fax numbers and E-mail addresses. Please indicate in your cover letter whether you would be willing to serve as a session chair and/or discussant. All submitted papers must be accompanied by an abstract of at least 250 words, but no more than 400 words. Submit your paper to: donato.masciandaro@unibocconi.it

The deadline for submissions is within June, 30. Authors will be notified about the acceptance of their papers by July 15, 2007.