France
EU heads of state to decide next no. 2 at ECB
FRANCE - French finance minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday that the issue of who replaces European Central Bank Vice President Christian Noyer at the end of May is a matter for European Union heads of state to decide.
Court backs probe that hurts ECB hopeful Trichet
FRANCE - A French court refused on Thursday to scrap a banking scandal inquiry that is hurting Paris's hopes of making Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet president of the European Central Bank, a lawcourts official said.
How to find a president for the ECB
FRANCE - A short question and answer session about the European Central Bank presidency published in the London edition of the Financial Times, 24 January.
SocGen halt processing of checks from Israel banks
FRANCE - French bank Societe Generale SA (F.SGF) said Wednesday it has stopped accepting checks from its correspondent banks in Israel for a temporary period of two months amid the furore over an alleged money-laundering ring.
Bankers quizzed over money laundering
FRANCE - Daniel Bouton, chairman of Societe Generale, the French bank, has became the latest in a long line of prominent French businesspeople to fall foul of the country's investigating magistrates.
Speech by Dr Wellink of the Nederlandsche Bank
SPEECH - Speech by Dr. A.H.E.M. Wellink on the occasion of a symposium of the Banque de France on ' New Technologies and Monetary Policy, 30 November 2001.
Trichet says ECB leadership succession not an issu
FRANCE - Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet, also a member of the governing council of the European Central Bank, said on Wednesday the leadership succession of the ECB was not an issue.
Speech by Jean Claude Trichet of Banque de France
SPEECH - Speech by Jean Claude Trichet, Governor of the Banque de France, at the NIKKEI Euro Symposium, London, 5 November.
Bank of France euro workers go on 24 hour strike
FRANCE - Bank of France workers responsible for distributing euro notes went on strike for 24 hours on Tuesday, the latest in a series of labour disputes to disrupt the introduction of the single currency in France.
French strike threat to euro launch
FRANCE - A leading trade union from the French banking sector is planning to call a strike from 2 January.
€ Euro - French police break up euro strike
FRANCE - French riot police have forced their way into the only mint in the country producing euro coins, after a 10-day strike by workers over pay and conditions.
ECB's Trichet gives little away on rates
EUROPE - European Central Bank Governing Council member and Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet gave little indication in a German newspaper interview Saturday of when the ECB might cut interest rates again.
Trichet sees 0.3% growth in France in 4th quarter
FRANCE - Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet expects French economic growth at 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2001, following estimated 0.3% growth in the third quarter, according to an interview Monday in French daily newspaper La Croix.
OECD forecasts recovery
The OECD's forecasts, while acknowledging that the world may already be in recession, suggest that the recession may not be prolonged and it still expects a sharp recovery next year. "I don't see this as a severe global recession," Chief Economist…
Bank of France aims to maintain note printing
FRANCE - The Bank of France has "the firm intention of remaining an important player on the European money printing market", according to Michel Perdrix, managing director of the note printing unit at the French central bank.
IMF cuts forecast for growth in France
FRANCE - The International Monetary Fund, blaming the effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US, has cut its forecast for French economic growth next year to around 1.6 per cent from an earlier prediction of 2.1 per cent.
Error rate high with euro notes trial in France
FRANCE - Two months before euro notes and coins come into circulation, the financial community is concerned that cashiers in shops and banks will not be ready to use euros and detect fake notes from 1 January.
Trichet: Have confidence in inflation deceleration
FRANCE - Bank of France Governor and European Central Bank Executive Board member Jean-Claude Trichet said Friday that he's confident inflation in the euro zone will continue to decelerate.
Bank of France printing employees continue strike
FRANCE - Employees at the Bank of France's printing plant at Chamalieres in the Puy-de-Dome department yesterday continued their strike observed since 12 September.
Fed rate cuts have hurt dollar versus euro - OECD
FRANCE - Aggressive interest rate reductions this year by the U.S. Federal Reserve were a factor in the dollar's decline against the euro during the summer, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Monday.
€ EURO - Franc to go out with a bang
FRANCE - A trick question for euro-specialists: when is a franc worth Euros 34, not Euros 0.15?
Bank of France printing employees strike to 5 Oct
FRANCE - On October 3 printing employees at the Bank of France at Chamalieres (Puy-de-Dome), on strike for three weeks, unanimously decided to continue action until 5 October.
Bank of Finland plan to nominate new board members
FRANCE - Bank of Finland plans to nominate two new members for its board of directors.
Bank of France printing staff continue strike
FRANCE - Employees belonging to the CGT union at the Bank of France's printing division have extended until today, 3 October, a strike that has been observed since 12 September.