Europe
Hamalainen on challenges for retail banking
In a speech on 'EU accession - challenges for retail banking' Sirkka Hamalainen of the ECB said the ECB has assessed the payments infrastructure in the acceding countries and found it sufficiently robust to ensure that it will not generate systemic risks…
First five years of the ECB
Commenting on the fifth annual report of the ECB presented to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs by ECB vice-president Lucas Papademos, Committee Chair Christa RANDZIO-PLATH (PES/Germany) said that the ECB and European Monetary Policy both…
Tumpel-Gugerell new ECB Board Member
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs gives ll clear for Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell as new ECB Board Member, 29 April.
Support for Tumpel-Gugerell
Unanimous Support for new ECB Executive Board Member, 29 April.
Duisenberg heir need not be French, lawmaker says
Christa Randzio-Plath, chairwoman of the European Parliament's monetary committee, has said that Wim Duisenberg's successor at the ECB does not have to be French, commenting "We have not only to look at nationality", according to Bloomberg News.
ECB warns SARS more damaging than war
In an interview with Spanish newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, an executive member of the ECB, said the negative impact of the Iraq war could be outweighed by the effect of the SARS virus.
ECB's Duisenberg implies he will leave in a year
The European Central Bank published its annual report for 2002 on Tuesday with Wim Duisenberg hinting that he would not be at the ECB this time next year. "This will be the last foreword of an ECB Annual Report to bear my signature," he said in the…
CentralBankNet Monday Special Feature
SPECIAL FEATURE - In this week's Special Feature CentralBankNet presents extracts from an exclusive interview with Professor Manfred Neumann of the University of Bonn. In the interview Professor Neumann spoke to Central Banking journal's Editor Robert…
Ensuring a balanced ECB Executive Board
On Tuesday 29 April at 9.30 , the Committee of Economic and Monetary Affairs will be holding a Confirmation Hearing of Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell who has been nominated by the Council of Ministers as a member of the Executive Board of the European Central…
Solans on the ECB's Memorandum of Understanding
Eugenio Domingo Solans of the European Central Bank spoke of the close cooperation between the ECB and the European Commission (Eurostat) at the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding on Economic and Financial Statistics.
EU central bankers may face EFC sidelining
A proposal has been made to exclude central bankers from some discussions of the influential Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), according to a report from Online. The proposal is designed to prevent the EFC from becoming unwieldy after 10 more…
Duisenberg to stay at ECB until successor ready
ECB president Wim Duisenberg has formally agreed to stay on at the euro zone central bank until a successor is ready to take over the role, according to a Reuters report.
Mersch on reform of the ECB's Governing Council
In a speechon 'The reform of the Governing Council of the ECB' Yves Mersch of the Central Bank of Luxembourg said particularly important and heartening, in his eyes, after the Council's approval of the enabling clause was the fact that a handful of…
ECB officials give conflicting signals on rate cut
Speaking separately this week two ECB Governing Council members gave conflicting views on what a fall in inflation below the ECB's 2 per cent target would mean for interest rates, according to Bloomberg report.
Duisenberg dashes hopes of ECB rate cut
Wim Duisenberg has said more is needed to rebuild consumer and business confidence than another rate cut, according to Business & Finance. He also said there was no serious danger of deflation in either Germany or the eurozone.
Travelex loses court battle over euro symbol
Following the court action by British bureau de change Travelex, a verdict was reached on Thursday 10 April, according to Business & Finance. Travelex claimed that they owned the "€" euro symbol, had used it since 1989 and that the ECB's use of it…
ECB would benefit from fresh, intellectual honesty
A letter in the Financial Times supporting Paul de Grauwe's candidacy to replace Sirkka Hamalainen as a board member of the European Central Bank said "an intellectually honest academic with a strong sense of social duty" may be just what Frankfurt needs…
ECB says 2003 growth rate hard to predict
The European Central Bank published its April 2003 Monthly Bulletin on 10 April. In the report the ECB said while a modest rate of growth should be expected this year, "the specific evolution of economic growth for the rest of this year is particularly…
Outlook clouded but inflation to ease: ECB
Even though the war in Iraq has increased uncertainty somewhat the European Central Bank said on Thursday in its monthly bulletin that it expected inflation to drop back below its 2 percent target this year, according to Reuters.
ECB should tolerate higher inflation - IMF report
The IMF's semi-annual World Economic Outlook report released on Wednesday 9 April urged the ECB to loosen its inflation target slightly to help stave off the threat of deflation for weaker eurozone economies such as Germany, according to Reuters.
Court to rule on euro symbol ownership
A court was due to rule on Thursday April 10 whether the ECB owns the "€" symbol representing the euro, reports Business & Finance. British company Travelex claimed the use of the logo was a blatant rip off of its own logo, which it has used since 1989.
Brussels forecasts Italy will break deficit rules
According to a report in the Financial times, the European Commission says Italy is likely to break the stability and growth pact's deficit limit of 3 per cent of GDP in 2004.
EC report casts doubt on eurozone benefits
The European Commission's spring forecast published on Tuesday 8 April said growth rates in euro member countries was lower than for EU members outside the single currency, the Financial Times reported.
ECB chief to stay on while successor found
The weekend meeting of Ecofin in Athens agreed a deal whereby ECB president Wim Duisenberg will stay on until a successor can be named, according to a Reuters report. "I will be president of the European Central Bank up until the day that my duly…