In the last decade, the banking sectors of developing countries, referred to as emerging markets, have been subject to particularly strong pressure towards the consolidation of capital and the concentration of services in an increasingly smaller number of entities. The basis for their transformation comes from changes in political and economic conditions and, first of all, from more and more intense global competition. General liberalisation and globalisation of financial services not only resulted in a substantial change of operating conditions of finance institutions in developed markets, but rendered possible the entry of powerful global financial groups into developing countries. These groups very quickly began to gain the upper hand in competition against local banks which, in Central and Eastern Europe, had to develop over a short time the same resources as had accumulated for many years in highly developed countries. Foreign entities, owing to their huge financial potential, also dominated the processes of consolidation and concentration. The former led to a significant decrease in the number of commercial banks in the developing countries. The latter resulted in the concentration of the financial services' market in an increasingly limited number of entities. At present, the growth of banking sectors in developing countries is closely linked to the decisions of foreign financial institutions, in particular those from the European Union Member States. These decisions also govern mergers and acquisitions in emerging markets. Their nature is primarily international and nowadays they are becoming a basic method for expanding banks. Without doubt, they contribute to an increasing quality of provided banking services, together with the development of innovative products or new channels for their distribution. On the other hand, they may further monopolise the sector and expose it to the effects of financial crises occurring even in distant regions of the world.