European Central Bank (ECB)
Weidmann and Draghi go head to head on ECB policy
Draghi, Asmussen and Weidmann lay out their views on the right direction for eurozone monetary policy; Bundesbank president accused by Paul Krugman of 'sadomonetarism'
OECD’s White says ECB supervision is back to front
William White says ECB should be managing the current crisis rather than trying to prevent the next one; warns that the global economy remains vulnerable, partly because of central bank actions
ECB gives Nouy the nod for SSM chair, but Mersch is no 'shoo-in' for deputy
ECB nominates top French regulator to head up SSM; responds to concerns that key decisions will be taken before chair is in place, but Sharon Bowles says questions remain for Draghi
ECB launches public consultation on mobile payments security recommendations
The governing council of the ECB asks market participants to comment on draft recommendations intended to make mobile payments more secure; interested parties have until January 31 to weigh in
OECD joins calls for eurozone QE
Organisation says ECB should consider ‘institutional changes' to allow it to buy corporate and sovereign bonds; suggests a timetable for US taper
Polish economists say rate cuts damaged trust in ECB
Working paper says central bank interest rate cuts can damage public trust if they come at a time when households have ‘pessimistic expectations'
ECB cut prompts record FX intervention in Serbia
Central bank expresses ‘firm and prudent’ resolve to lean against capital flows resulting from ECB rate cut, but eschews a fixed exchange rate
Bank of Spain puts 'revolving door' under review
Javier Priego, the Bank of Spain’s general secretariat, is reassessing the rules governing central bank employees after they leave the institution
OECD’s William White fears global economic system is still highly unstable
William White tells Christopher Jeffery he is wary of placing too much reliance on the ‘science’ of monetary or regulatory policy. He also believes the world economic system is still out of balance
ECB's Mersch touts securitisation of SME loans as way of boosting EU economy
Executive board member says second priority after assessing banks' balance sheets is to support lending to SMEs by strengthening capital markets
Banks respond differently to capital target deviations, ECB paper shows
Working paper finds banks tend to reshuffle risk-weighted assets or increase holdings when above Tier I ratio, but more inclined to increase equity levels when below target
Latvia central bank brings rates and rules in line with eurozone
Bank of Latvia slashes rates to match ECB's ultra-low 0.25%; economists say the move, along with new regulations, was designed purely to ready the country to join the eurozone in January
ECB's Asmussen defends 'unorthodox measures' in pursuit of 'orthodox objectives'
Executive board member highlights distinction between policy goals and instruments; says LTROs, OMTs and forward guidance crucial to ensure monetary transmission and hit inflation target
Mersch tells Greece not to forget future generations
Executive board member praises country for its ‘extraordinary efforts to refute the naysayers’, but warns hesitation now will force future generations to bear the burden of past mistakes
Collateral could be useful tool at zero lower bound, says ECB paper
Working paper shows broader collateral eligibility makes funding conditions easier for banks; notes this could be useful for policy, but central banks should not forget sound risk management
ECB to house new SSM in old ‘Eurotower’
Central bank decides to use existing headquarters for around 1,000 new staff responsible for single supervisory mechanism; plans being implemented to avoid overflow while new tower is completed
ECB says no treaty change needed for SRM
Central bank pushes for introduction of ‘lawful' SRM by 2015; warns delay of bail-in tool may undermine resolution efforts by creating regulatory inconsistency and uncertainty
ECB paper questions quantity theory of money in low-inflation countries
Researchers say evidence for the theory is 'just not there' in countries with low or moderate inflation, but becomes a ‘better fit' when correcting for variation in output growth
'Bold' ECB cuts rates as low inflation settles in
Mario Draghi surprises markets by announcing a cut in the main refi rate in face of falling inflation; opinion differs on whether this is the ECB's last throw of the dice
Bank of Slovenia lifts lid on bank health checks
The 10 banks under investigation will be subjected to asset quality reviews and bottom-up stress tests; results will be challenged by an outside consultancy
Fall in OECD inflation highlights advanced economy monetary policy dilemmas
New OECD figures show lower annual inflation rates despite Japanese CPI turning positive; pressure mounts on ECB and Fed to counteract trend, but analysts unsure with what tools
Constâncio insists private sector will play ‘major’ role in filling capital shortfalls
The ECB’s vice-president says banks will be able to fill any capital holes turned up in the central bank’s comprehensive assessment at least partly through private funds
ECB paper finds value in high-frequency trading
Working paper suggests high-frequency trading aids price discovery, such that regulatory restrictions could damage market efficiency