European Council
Euro group agrees on single banking supervisory mechanism
Umbrella supervision body 'run by ECB' to be established; exhausted EC president refuses to discuss details of plan to directly recapitalise European banks
EU freezes assets of Syrian central bank
Council of the European Union announces freeze on central bank assets among string of sanctions; EU “increasingly appalled” by situation in the country, says council
Netherlands Bank blasts EU financial transaction tax proposals
Netherlands Bank warns of large financial and economic costs associated with the adoption of a financial transaction tax in Europe; says hard evidence of stability benefits are 'lacking'
EU freezes assets of Iranian central bank
EU follows US lead by announcing strict new sanctions on Iranian central bank; heart of action is to limit the country’s nuclear programme
Draghi explains extraordinary policy measures
ECB president sets out the reasons behind governing council’s decision to cut the benchmark interest rate and introduce three measures to support bank lending and liquidity in the eurozone
Greek debt value halved after marathon EU discussions
New Europe crisis resolution deal brokered overnight in Belgium; EFSF extended, Greek debt cut, banks’ capital to rise and governance increased
EU lawmakers agree on Stability and Growth Pact overhaul
Enhanced Stability and Growth Pact gets approval of European Council and Parliament; European finance ministers clear Asmussen for ECB executive board
Draghi's fate in European Council’s hands
European Council set to decide on nomination of Mario Draghi for ECB presidency; Lorenzo Bini Smaghi yet to announce decision regarding position on executive board
Barroso confirms European finance ministers agree to EFSF fund rise
European Council set to meet in Brussels to discuss economic policy change and the Greek crisis; Barroso reveals finance ministers agree to raise European Financial Stability Facility fund
Council of the EU recommends Mario Draghi for ECB presidency
The Council of the European Union recommends the nomination of Mario Draghi as president of the European Central Bank
EU governance reform falls short of quantum leap: Trichet
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet calls for less discretion to application of Stability and Growth Pact
ECB paper on EMU governance reforms
European Central Bank study says Van Rompuy Task Force proposals are essential to euro area governance framework
Libya’s Bengdara pleads for softer sanctions on central bank: report
Central Bank of Libya governor Farhat Bengdara tells Wall Street Journal he is lobbying for some leniency on central bank sanctions; says cannot return to Tripoli
ECB calls for return to stricter growth and stability pact
European Central Bank calls for reversion of Stability and Growth Pact 2005 amendments, which relaxed compliance conditions; says sanctions on member states should be applied more stringently
Interview: Jacques de Larosière
Europe must stick with its fiscal rules says the former managing director of the IMF and governor of the Banque de France. Interview by Robert Pringle.