Euro
Merkel worried by debate on ECB independence
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out on economic issues in an interview Saturday 13 January, defending the independence of the European Central Bank against euro critics and calling for closer ties with the US.
ECB says 265,000 counterfeit euro notes detected
The European Central Bank said Friday 12 January a total of 265,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were removed from circulation during the second half of last year.
Germany's Steinbrueck defends ECB independence
Germany said Thursday 11 January it would not put up with any change in the independence of the European Central Bank.
ECB chief defends central bank independence
Speaking at the press conference following a meeting of the ECB's governing council, ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet said that it was up to all European Union states to ensure independence of their central banks.
Polish committee recommends Skrzypek to NBP
The Public Finances Committee of the Polish Parliament recommended Monday 8 January Slawomir Skrzypek to become the new head of the country's central bank.
Deloitte chief linked to Hungarian cb job
The chief of the Hungarian arm of auditing and consulting group Deloitte, Andras Simor, was tipped on Friday 5 January by daily Nepszabadsag to become the new governor of Hungary's central bank.
CNB's Tuma says euro entry rules outdated
Czech central bank governor Zdenek Tuma said in an article published Thursday 4 January the conditions for new member states to join the euro are outdated and should be overhauled.
Central banks tiptoeing away from the dollar
According to this article from The New York Times published Tuesday 2 January, nations with large holdings of dollars are becoming increasingly willing to dump them in favour of the euro.
PBOC's Wu expects Fed rate cuts in 2007
The US Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates in 2007 and that will reinforce the dollar's downwards bias and the yuan's tendency to rise, a senior Chinese central banker was reported by the Financial News as saying.
Slovenia brings in euro with no hiccups
Slovenia successfully adopted Europe's single currency, the euro, on Monday 1 January, crowning its 15-year transition from a republic in socialist Yugoslavia.
ECB's Liikanen sees inflation risks
European Central Bank Governing Council member, Erkki Liikanen, said there were still upside risks to inflation in the eurozone, Finnish national broadcaster YLE reported on Tuesday 2 January.
Spain says ECB 'independent and professional'
Spanish economy minister Pedro Solbes told Reuters on Wednesday 20 December Spain supports the European Central Bank's policy and is in a different position to France.
Sharp FX moves not in global interest - Trichet
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said on Wednesday 20 December that sharp and abrupt moves in currencies would not be in the interests of Europe, the US or the global economy.
Iran plans move towards euro from dollar
A spokesman for the Iranian government said Monday 18 December that the Central Bank of Iran will convert the state's foreign dollar holdings into euros and use the euro for foreign transactions.
ECB's Stark says eurozone rates still low
European Central Bank (ECB) Chief Economist Juergen Stark said Thursday 14 December the bank's interest rate policy is still accommodative and noted that levels are low.
Slovenia 'well prepared' for euro
Slovenia has entered the final phase of preparations for the launch of the euro on New Year's Day, and is ready for the switchover, a central bank official said Thursday 14 December.
Villepin wants clarification of ECB role
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called on Monday 12 December to "clarify the roles" of European Central Bank (ECB), amid talk regarding the recent high levels of the euro.
Papademos on the global importance of the euro
In the speech 'The global importance of the euro' given on 17 November Lucas Papademos of the ECB said the share of the euro in global official foreign exchange reserves increased during the first few years following its introduction, but has remained…
Optimal currency shares in international reserves
The ECB Working Paper "Optimal currency shares in international reserves: the impact of the euro and the prospects for the dollar" says that foreign exchange reserve accumulation has risen dramatically in recent years.
NBP's Balcerowicz against euro referendum
The head of Poland's central bank Leszek Balcerowicz told a seminar on Thursday 7 December that a referendum on Poland joining the eurozone is unnecessary.
Fed's Fisher:The extended importance of the euro
In the speech 'The extended importance of the euro' given on 17 November Richard Fisher of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said challenges remain for the euro area.
ECB issues warning to euro hopefuls
Some of the new members of the European Union lining up to adopt the euro will likely have to wait until the end of the decade, the European Central Bank said Tuesday 5 December.
Al-Suwaidi on the extended importance of the euro
In the speech 'The extended importance of the euro' given on 17 November Sultan Bin Nasser Al-Suwaidi of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates said the Euro will definitely grow to dominate trade outside the Euro Area.
Trichet: lessons for EU financial integration
Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the ECB, set out some of the key lessons for greater financial integration among EU economies in a recent speech.