Jonathan Hill, the European Union's financial services chief,asked the industry for “empirical evidence and concretefeedback” on how laws put in place since the crisis are hinderingmarkets and growth. The lobbyists let him have it.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which calls itself the world'slargest business federation, told Hill that financial rules areforcing companies to rethink their businesses and maybe even theirpresence in Europe. Bond traders said one regulation could shutdown some debt markets. Even the U.K. accounting regulator had amessage for Brussels: Write simpler rules and considerderegulation.

These pleas and grievances were contained in just some of thehundreds of pages of letters that piled up on Hill's desk inBrussels after he announced in September that he wanted to reviewthe vast array of financial regulations passed in response to thefinancial and debt crises. Letters poured in by the Jan. 31deadline, supporting the review and lobbying for scores of changesthat Hill already has said he might consider.