France
KAS bank connects to Banque de France
KAS Bank is the first non-French bank to realise a direct connection to the payment system of the French Central Bank. KAS Bank has been active as a General Clearing Member and Settlement Agent on the French market since 2001.
France's Raffarin sees 2.5 % GDP growth in 2004
French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said he expects GDP growth of 2.5 per cent in 2004 and said that economic growth is sustainable.
Interview: Christian de Boissieu
Professor de Boissieu is head of the economic advisory council attached to the French prime minister’s office. In this exclusive interview he explains how Europe’s economic rules should be rewritten. Interview by Robert Pringle.
Banque de France, Fin Stability Review, June 2004
At the turn of the year, growth picked up in all advanced economies as well as in most emerging economies, in particular in Asia. The economic recovery, already in full swing in the United States and in Japan, gained momentum in the euro area, albeit at…
Bank of France raises growth forecast
The Bank of France raised its forecast for growth in the second and third quarters as June retail sales surged, manufacturers lifted production, and executives' confidence was its highest in more than three years.
Chirac calls on ECB to consider Europe's growth
The European Central Bank should not limit its role to controlling inflation and should review its mission so that it can take into consideration Europe's growth, French President Jacques Chirac said on Wednesday 14 July .
Noyer says ECB rate can't stay low forever
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer said in an interview that the ECB's interest rates are appropriate, but that financial markets should not expect them to remain low forever.
Arhar says Slovenia not ready for euro
Slovenia is not sufficiently prepared to enter the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II), France Arhar, chairman of the Slovene branch of Bank Austria Creditanstalt, told the weekly Mag, saying that the country is experiencing unusual circumstances in long…
Trichet shown red card for speaking English
French deputies walked out of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly on Monday 21 June when ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet began addressing a meeting in English, according to Reuters.
France's Noyer on indexed bonds, inflation
In a speech on 'The role of inflation - indexed bonds in the process of setting monetary policy: a central banker's perspective' given on 9 June, Christian Noyer of the Bank of France said central banks have to make use of the widest possible set of…
Bank of France urges reform to meet deficit limit
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer on Thursday 10 June called on the French government for measures to bring the country's budget deficit below three percent of output by 2005.
UK, France and Germany to co-ordinate econ policy
In an interview with French daily Le Figaro, French finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy has said that France, Germany and the UK are ready to include common measures in their national budgets to become more co-ordinated economically.
Sarkozy pledges to cut in deficit, sell reserves
French Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has promised to bring the country's deficit under control and also proposed to sell some of the gold held at the Bank of France.
Noyer says France open to gold sale
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer said in an interview published on Wednesday 14 April that he was open to selling some of France's gold but that the receipts would not go directly to the state.
France 'just thinking' about gold sales
The French finance ministry said on Tuesday 13 April that it was just thinking about using some of the country's gold for future investments or to reduce debt, after press reports said talks could begin this week with the Bank of France.
France supporting EBRD's Lemierre for IMF
Paris and Berlin agreed Monday that a decision should be made quickly on naming a new head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that, as in the past, the person should be a European. A press report earlier said France would propose Jean Lemierre…
France may opt to use gold to fund research
The French government is looking at the possibility of using its gold reserves to finance research, with a ministerial source quoted as saying that while the gold is managed by the central bank it belongs to France.
ECB's Noyer sees upturn in French economy
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer was quoted on Thursday 11 March as saying he had hopes that French growth could accelerate despite the strength of the euro.
EU need 'unchallengeable' choice for IMF, says Mer
Francis Mer has said that the EU should agree on an "unchallengeable" contender as Horst Koehler's replacement at the IMF, to avoid a repeat of the squabbling over its previous nomination.
Reynders says ECB may have room for manoeuvre
Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders has said that it is up to the European Central Bank to stimulate Europe's sluggish economic recovery, because widening budget deficits prevent governments from boosting spending.
Bank of France unions call for worker walk-out
Six unions representing employees at Banque de France, the French central bank (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, SIC and SNA), called staff out on a one-hour work stoppage on Tuesday 24 February.
Raffarin says ECB should react to euro rise
Speaking on Thursday 26 February, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said he shared Gerhard Schroeder's views that the ECB should think about varying eurozone interest rates given the euro's strong rise against the dollar.
France's Noyer reassures over 'very stable' euro
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer played down the rise of the euro on Wednesday 25 February, saying the rate was "very stable" and that the exchange rate was not far from the launch rate of the euro in 1999.
Trichet nose his skiing
Attending a summit in London this week ECB boss Jean-Claude Trichet stood out from the crowd with what was described as a large plaster on his nose.