Eurozone
De Grauwe labels Maastricht rules political tools
The Maastricht criteria for euro adoption are political instruments, not economically-vital measures, a respected economist has said.
ECB dissenter Orphanides heralds deflation threat
Athanasios Orphanides, the governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus and a staunch advocate of a looser monetary-policy stance, has warned of the increasing threat of the eurozone deflation.
ECB Monthly Bulletin: April 09
The flow of loans to non-financial corporations and households has remained very subdued, says the latest Monthly Bulletin from the European Central Bank.
ECB's Bini Smaghi: central banks' teamwork unique
The level of trust and cooperation within the central-banking community has increased significantly during the crisis, said Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the European Central Bank's executive board.
ECB's policy rule does not fit all
Euro policy rates best fit the largest eurozone members, research from the Bank of Finland posits.
Crisis hampering eurozone integration: ECB
The European Central Bank (ECB) has warned that the pace of pan-European financial integration could slow in the wake of the financial crisis.
IMF: eastern EU states must adopt euro - report
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is alleged to have advocated fast-track eurozone accession for eastern European countries grappling with high amounts of external debt.
Euro inflation at new low, OECD wants more easing
The OECD on Tuesday urged the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates further and apply quantitative easing in a bid to stave off a severe economic contraction. The calls came as it emerged eurozone annual inflation in March had dropped to its lowest…
ECB issues Sepa "expectations"
The European Central Bank (ECB) published a list of expectations on Friday for how it would like to see stakeholders act to implement the Single Euro Payments Area or Sepa, amid concerns that the initiative will be swept aside by the financial crisis.
Estonia to meet Maastricht criteria in 2009
Andres Lipstok, the governor of the Bank of Estonia, has said that the country will meet all the Maastricht criteria for euro entry later this year, reports say.
Buba's Weber: no surprise states keen on euro
It is no wonder that many of those in small boats are seeking to dock in the large ship European economic and monetary union (EMU), said Axel Weber, the president of the Bundesbank.
ECB Monthly Bulletin: March 09
The outlook for euro-area demand remains gloomy, says the latest Monthly Bulletin from the European Central Bank.
House price spillovers low in eurozone
Spillovers between countries from shocks to house prices across eurozone are of a relatively low magnitude, a new paper from the European Central Bank finds.
ECB's Bini Smaghi: go easy with easing
It is unsound to ease monetary policy too much too soon, even when insuring against the worst-case deflationary scenario, said Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the European Central Bank's executive board.
ECB books €2.7 billion surplus
The European Central Bank (ECB) earned a surplus of €2.66 billion ($3.34 billion) last year on the back of the euro's appreciation against the dollar and the yen, it emerged on Thursday. The central bank also revealed that it was owed €10.3 billion by…
Ex-Buba's Pohl sees euro threat
Karl Otto Pohl, a former president of the Bundesbank, has said that he believes countries are considering quitting the eurozone and that German politicians are concerned that they will end up shelling out for any member's debt defaults.
Trichet pushes for greater regulatory role
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), has called for European Union to grant his institution a greater regulatory role.
EU backs pledge to fill IMF coffers to $500bn
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) needs to bolster its lending capacity to $500 billion, leaders of Europe's biggest economies have said. The move comes amid concern that the Fund will be unable to avert the collapse of some central and eastern…
Of currencies, crises and completions
The crisis presents an opportunity to complete Europe’s journey towards a true monetary union, argues John Nugée
EU could face fiscal-pact threat
The European Commission's November 2008 fiscal stimulus may undermine the Stability and Growth Pact, Jan Qvigstad, the deputy governor at Norges Bank.
A setback for European payments
Terry Dirienzo, product and marketing director for Experian Payments, a consultancy, bemoans a French suspension of work on the Single Euro Payments Area (Sepa).
Demand for eurozone loans shrinks
Demand for loans from both businesses and households across the euro area fell sharply in the fourth quarter, the European Central Bank's (ECB) latest credit conditions survey indicated.
ECB: corporate credit weakening
Corporate credit is significantly weakening, said Jean-Claude Trichet and Lucas Papademos, the president and the vice president of the European Central Bank (ECB).
ECB official praises Slovakia's euro entry
The changeover from Slovak koruna to euro, which took place in January, was very smooth, said Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo, a member of the European Central Bank's Executive Board.