European Central Bank (ECB)
ECB plans to charge banks $355 million supervisory fee
The European Central Bank will charge eurozone banks an annual fee for supervising them; early figures suggest the 130 or so significant banks will foot 85% of the bill
Draghi flags up eurozone credit constraints
The ECB could help boost lending to SMEs through LTROs if credit supply fails to keep pace with credit demand, Mario Draghi tells Portugal conference
ECB launches new central banking forum
The European Central Bank will open its first forum on central banking in Portugal on Sunday, where 150 central bankers, government officials and academics will debate current policy issues
SSM results could come out early if severe weaknesses are found
Sabine Lautenschläger said today the results of the ECB's assessment of eurozone banks' health could be released early in the case of ‘severe weaknesses'
Target2 values drop by €150 trillion as ECB changes statistical methodology
European Central Bank excludes overnight deposits from data sample; values processed by Target2 drop from €643 trillion in 2012 to €493 trillion in 2013 as a result
Euro Retail Payments Board sets out work plan in wake of Sepa migration
The board creates two working groups in its first meeting; one on post-migration issues, the other on finding Europe-wide solutions for securing electronic mandates for direct debits
European central banks strike new gold agreement
Central banks in the eurozone, Sweden and Switzerland agree to coordinate their gold transactions, but scrap the 400-tonne limit on annual sales
Mersch: regional currencies are flawed
ECB executive board member warns that regional money can hamper trade between different parts of the country, while costing commercial partners the opportunity to grow
QE for infrastructure investment could be ECB's alternative to ‘pushing on a string'
As the ECB continues to struggle to boost lending in the eurozone periphery, a leading Greek academic is proposing it channels QE through the European Investment Bank
Bowles turns down ECB invite to join Supervisory Board
Sharon Bowles, who is stepping down from the European Parliament this month, fears the ECB is eyeing an expansion of its influence through macro-prudential policy
ECB’s Mersch defiant on OMTs
Yves Mersch tells an audience in Berlin the ECB would be willing to buy government bonds in the secondary market before the European Court of Justice’s ruling on OMTs
ECB paper finds press conferences have ‘gained in importance’
European researchers find the president’s press conferences have become a more important communication tool since the financial crisis
Finance and the Holy See: creating a central bank
The Vatican is setting up a ‘central bank’ as part of an overhaul of its finances. Isabella Bufacchi and Carlo Marroni examine the options available to the the Holy See.
ECB's Mario Draghi faces ongoing German ‘angst’
ECB president to face further German resistance on interest rates, banking union and OMTs – with Germany’s constitutional court ruling likely more problematic than some observers believe.
Constâncio calls for centralised deposit insurance scheme
European Central Bank’s Vítor Constâncio welcomes legislators deal on deposit guarantees but insists they are ‘only a little part’ of what is necessary
People: BoK appoints new reserves chief; Fed staffer returns to head up Riksbank research
Chae Sun-Byoung new head of reserve management at Bank of Korea; Jesper Lindé returns to head up Riksbank's research department; Linette Field put in charge of SSM deputy directorate
Draghi points to ECB action next month
European Central Bank holds rates but is ‘comfortable’ with the prospect of easing monetary policy following next month’s economic forecasts
Yves Mersch says EU treaty change could entrench monetary and banking union
Changing the EU treaties could, according to Mersch, help strengthen the institutional framework underpinning the Economic and Monetary Union
OECD urges ECB to cut key rate
The OECD chief economist calls on the European Central Bank to cut its main refinance rate to zero and prepare for ‘additional non-conventional stimulus’
Inflation rebound eases pressure on ECB
An increase in annual inflation and an improving credit outlook will help ease the pressure on the European Central Bank governing council, which meets in Brussels next week
Cœuré sees ‘limited’ case for central bank cooperation
More cooperation between central banks would not have produced especially different policies in the wake of the financial crisis, according to ECB’s Benoît Cœuré
ECB turns attention to single card payments area
Card payments are lagging credit transfers and direct debits when it comes to harmonisation across the eurozone; ECB calls for "considerable efforts" to rectify this
Regulators reveal details of EU and UK stress tests
European Banking Authority and Bank of England set out the scenarios they will use in their respective stress tests later this year; ECB sets deadline for meeting capital shortfalls
ECB paper finds eurozone inflation better anchored than US
Analysis of medium- and longer-term inflation expectations at times of economic shocks finds European inflation expectations more firmly anchored than in the US