Belgium
ECB rate cut not ruled out: Belgian board
BELGIUM - Belgian national bank chief Guy Quaden, a member of the European Central Bank board, declined Tuesday to rule out an ECB interest rate cut.
Brussels tells new members not to rush into euro
BELGIUM - Brussels may be holding open the door to 10 new European Union members in 2004 but there were warnings yesterday that the candidate countries should not rush to join the euro.
Non-US banks may secure Sarbanes-Oxley concession
BELGIUM - Non-US banks may win a significant concession on tough new US legislation on corporate governance and accounting.
France faces formal Brussels rebuke
BELGIUM - France was yesterday left isolated and facing a European Union reprimand after blowing a hole in the credibility of the rules that underpin the euro.
Business Survey Barometer August 2002
REPORT - The National Bank of Belgium's Business Survey Barometer for August 2002 stabilised in August after declining in the previous two months.
ECB's Quaden says Europe's economy struggling
BELGIUM - European Central Bank council member Guy Quaden said the economy is struggling to expand and higher oil prices may curb spending by companies and consumers.
EU Commission trims euro-zone growth prospects
BELGIUM - The EU Commission cut on Friday - for the second time in a month - its forecast for third quarter euro-zone growth, aiming now for 0.3-0.6 percent because of signs of weakness from Germany, France and Italy.
Financial Stability Review, 2002, from the NBB
ANNUAL REVIEW - Financial Stability Review, 2002 Issue 1, from the National Bank of Belgium. The review says that the diversity of topics covered in this first FSR illustrates that financial stability issues have to be studied from a wide variety of…
Euro-zone inflation climbs to 1.9 per cent in July
BELGIUM - Inflation in the 12-nation euro zone edged up to 1.9 per cent in July compared with the same month in 2001, the statistics body Eurostat reported on Wednesday, citing provisional figures.
Financial regulation change brought closer for EU
BELGIUM - European Union finance ministers will tomorrow discuss a radical shake-up of banking and insurance regulation in an effort to bolster Europe's defences against future financial crises.
ECB sounds the alarm
ECB - The prospect of fudging the EU stability pact, which stipulates a 3% budget deficit ceiling for national governments, drew criticism from ECB officials on Thursday.
Quaden warns of Belgian budget deficit in 2003
BELGIUM - Guy Quaden, governor of the Belgian National Bank, has warned that Belgium may return to a budget deficit next year if the government eases spending controls to help it win elections: "In 2003, I will be very vigilant not only about inflation…
National Bank of Belgium - Annual Report 2001
ANNUAL REPORT - The Annual Report of the National Bank of Belgium for 2001 is now available online in English. This document provides useful information on recent economic and financial developments, both in Belgium and abroad.
Speech by Guy Quaden, N. Bank of Belgium, 27 May
SPEECH - Guy Quaden, governor of the National Bank of Belgium gives an opening address titled 'New Views on Firms' Investment and Finance Decisions', for the National Bank of Belgium Conference in Brussels on May 27 & 28.
Speech by Guy Quaden, N. Bank of Belgium, 14 May
SPEECH - Guy Quaden, governor of the National Bank of Belgium, gave a keynote address at the OECD Forum in Paris titled 'The Euro - a milestone on the path of European integration and a contribution to world economy stability' on 14 May 2002.
ECB warns about deficits, inflation
BELGIUM - The president of the European Central Bank, Wim Duisenberg, urged euro-zone government to stand by promises to balance their budgets by the end of 2004, here on Tuesday.
ECOFIN to study banking supervision plans in July
BELGIUM - EU finance ministers will take a further look at banking supervision plans at their meeting in July, Spanish finance minister Rodrigo Rato and EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Pedro Solbes have said.
Prodi calls for 'one sole political voice' on euro
BELGIUM - European Commission president Romano Prodi said he is "convinced" that there should be moves to ensure one sole political voice speaks on behalf of the euro.
No need for more transparency at ECB says Noyer
BELGIUM - European Central Bank Vice President Christian Noyer said on Tuesday there was no reason for the time being to increase the banks transparency by publishing minutes of the ECB's closed-door meetings, but did not rule it at some point in the…
EU Parliament committee to question Papademos
BELGIUM - European Central Bank Vice President nominee Lucas Papademos will testify before the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (EMAC) on 22 April, the Parliament said on Wednesday.
Race still on for ECB Vice President position
BELGIUM - Belgium said on Thursday it stuck to its candidate for the European Central Bank's vice-presidency, which vacates end-May, but added that it wanted a good chance for a next vacancy if a Belgian failed this time.
ECB's Quaden - "More and more signs" worst over
BELGIUM - European Central Bank Governing Council member Guy Quaden welcomed Tuesday the latest reading in German business sentiment, calling it another sign that the euro-zone economy has turned the corner.
Issing, Euro 12 govts must speed up reform in 2002
BELGIUM - Euro-zone governments should take advantage of this year's economic recovery and speed up structural reforms shelved last year owing to the downturn, European Central Bank chief economist and executive board member Otmar Issing said Tuesday.
Belgian econ cycle may lead eurozone by 1 quarter
BELGIUM - Belgium's business cycle leads the eurozone cycle by one calendar quarter, according to a study by the Belgian Planning Bureau, the government's economic think tank, reports Reuters.