Euro
BNB's Quaden: Further euro rise 'not desirable'
Belgian National Bank governor Guy Quaden said at the release of the central bank's annual report that any further rise of the euro is "not desirable".
Bundesbank says eurozone not hurt by weak dollar
The Bundesbank said on Monday 16 February that economic recovery in the eurozone has not been harmed by the weak dollar, with increasing global demand more than compensating for it.
Interview with Zdenek Tuma
With accession on the horizon, the governor of the Czech National Bank evaluates the progress of economic transition and discusses his concerns over joining the euro.
Interview: Michael Bonello
Having successfully defended its peg for 30 years, Malta appears well placed to join ERM II. The governor of the Central Bank of Malta outlines the path to the eurozone and the pitfalls along the way.
Sweden's Heikensten on current monetary policy
In a speech on 'Monetary policy - some current issues' given on 10 February, Lars Heikensten of the Sveriges Riksbank said there are signs of an upturn in the euro area now, although the picture is not as clear-cut as in the United States.
Counterfeit euro notes rises in 2nd half 2003
The ECB said on Thursday 22 January that a total of 311,925 counterfeit euro banknotes were removed from circulation in the second half of 2003, an increase of 30 per cent on the first half.
ECB's Issing is concerned by strong euro
The European Central Bank's chief economist Otmar Issing said on Friday 16 January that he was "concerned" about the impact of the strong euro.
German central banker calm over euro strength
A senior member of the Bundesbank has played down warnings from business leaders and politicians that the strength of the euro's exchange rate is hurting economic recovery.
Sweden's Heikensten on euro entry reforms
In a speech on 'Euro entry before reforms or reforms before euro entry?' given on 21 November, Lars Heikensten of the Sveriges Riksbank said his advice would be to put your house in order first, and only after that enter ERM II and begin a quick process…
Reinventing euro-area central banks
Central banks of the euro area have the challenge of redefining their national roles. Maxwell Watson suggests approaches that build on their existing authority and expertise.
Post referendum, Swedish euro opposition rises
A poll published on Friday 14 November showed that opposition to the euro has increased in Sweden since the euro referendum in September came down against the single currency, reports EU Business. Support for the euro fell from 42 to 38 percent, the poll…
Publication of study on the euro area money market
In the context of the regular monitoring activities of the European System of Central Banks, experts from the European Central Bank and from the national central banks of the European Union have carried out an analysis of euro area money market…
Bank of Greece sets sights on fake euro problem
The Bank of Greece is preparing a public awareness campaign regarding the perils of counterfeit euro notes, according to a report by Kathimerini. The recent discovery of fake 200-euro notes in Greece caused the authorities to focus on high denominations.
Swinging euro worries Bundesbank chief Welteke
Bundesbank chief Ernst Welteke has said the euro is at around its long-term average, according to RTE News, but that abrupt swings in the exchange rate with the dollar could harm the global economy.
ECB says euro rise not a threat to growth
ECB governing council member Matti Vanhala said on Thursday 9 October that the euro's strength was not "a significant hindrance" to eurozone growth and the dollar's weakness would help to "fix global imbalances", according to the Financial Times…
Greece to mint 2 euro coin to help fund Olympics
Bank of Greece governor Nicholas Garganas announced on Monday 29 September that Greece will issue a commemorative 2 euro coin, according to a reporrt by Associated Press. Proceeds from the sale of coins will be used to help fund the 2004 Olympics which…
Sweden spurns the euro
Europe's unifiers have been profoundly shaken by Sweden's unambiguous decision to steer well clear of the euro for the time being. Both the Riksbank and the ECB have since publicly been at pains to clarify that the result of the referendum will have no…
Sweden says euro referendum to go ahead Sunday
Despite the murder of Sweden's Foreign Minister Anna Lindh on Wednesday, the euro referendum will still go ahead on Sunday, Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson said, according to Reuters.
Swedish PM says euro vote will be tight
Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson has said the race will be tight in the euro referendum vote on Sunday, according to Associated Press. "I think it's going to be somewhere in the 53-47 interval. But which way I don't know," he said.
Persson tells Swedes euro won't hit welfare scheme
With the September referendum on the euro fast approaching, the Financial Times reports that Swedish prime minister Goran Persson has moved to reassure Swede's that their generous welfare programmes would not be damaged by euro membership.
Swedes to reject euro, Nordea forecasts
Economists at Nordea have changed their forecast for the first time, according to Bloomberg, and now say Sweden will vote no in the 14 September euro referendum.
What'll it be Sweden, in September's euro vote?
September's vote on adopting the euro has Sweden on edge, this article in BusinessWeek reports. So, is it ja or nej? Just a year ago, the yes side was well ahead. But a sluggish euro zone, along with a slowdown at home, has helped shift sentiment sharply.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, August 2003
The European Central Bank published its August 2003 Monthly Bulletin on 7 August. The report said economic activity in the euro area remained subdued in the first half of 2003, broadly in line with previous expectations. At the same time, there is…