Eurozone
Labour productivity developments in the euro area
This European Central Bank Occasional Paper provides a description and a discussion of some important aspects relating to recent productivity developments in the euro area.
Sterling sits pretty as volatility vanishes
According to this article from the Financial Times, published Tuesday 24 October, the UK's fiscal rules are superior to the eurozone's Stability and Growth Pact and the Treasury's opposition to joining the euro has been vindicated.
ECB paper on public sector procurement legislation
The ECB Working Paper "National central banks and Community public sector procurement legislation: a critical overview" finds that an examination of the Public Sector Procurement Directive reveals no substantive grounds on which to argue that NCBs should…
ECB's Wellink says rates still 'very low'
European Central Bank council member Nout Wellink said in an interview published Monday 23 October interest rates in the euro region are ``very low'' and the speed of economic growth could risk fueling inflation.
ECB should not look far ahead on rates - IMF
IMF chief economist Raghuram Rajan warned the European Central Bank on Wednesday 18 October not to have a predetermined plan for further increases in eurozone rates but to base decisions on economic data.
ECB 'attentive' to inflation risk- Gonzalez-Paramo
ECB board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo refused to contradict market expectations of another eurozone rate hike in December, Expansion reported on Thursday 19 October.
How to save the young from the burden of pensions
According to this article by Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, published in the Financial Times on Wednesday 18 October, the introduction of an EU constitutional rule to prevent young workers being discriminated against in pension reforms is needed.
ECB's Liebscher sees December rate hike
European Central Bank governing council member Klaus Liebscher told the FAZ newspaper on Wednesday 18 October that market expectations of a December interest rate increase are accurate, but said the ECB has no pre-determined view on rates for 2007.
Interview with Central Bank of Ireland's Hurley
Irish central bank governor John Hurley told the Financial Times in an interview published Wednesday 18 October that rising eurozone interest rates are starting to cool the booming Irish housing market, but economic growth in the country will remain…
Trichet: How to elevate Europe's potential growth
In the speech 'How to elevate the potential growth rate of Europe' given on 16 October Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said the euro zone's growth potential is "mediocre" and structural reforms are urgently needed to boost economic growth.
ECB's Stark on the euro area's role
In the speech 'The euro area's role in the global economy' given on 13 October Jurgen Stark of the ECB said while EMU is a success story with respect to the single monetary policy a lot needs to be done in the areas of fiscal policies and structural…
Trichet endorses rate hike expectations
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet on Thursday 12 October again endorsed market expectations of a further hike in euro zone interest rates by the end of the year.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, October 2006
The European Central Bank published its October 2006 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday 12 October. In the report the ECB said eurozone consumer spending is likely to make an increasing contribution to GDP growth in the coming quarters.
ECB's Trichet at the European Parliament
In testimony given on 10 October at the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee of the European Parliament Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said economic growth in the euro zone has strengthened significantly and interest rates will rise further to combat…
Central Europe cannot afford to delay the euro
According to this article published by the Financial Times on Monday 9 October, the main reason for stalling central European economies is the reluctance by several governments to embrace monetary union as quickly as possible.
Noyer says ECB rate rise was necessary for prices
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer speaking on French radio on Friday 6 October defended the European Central Bank's decision to raise interest rates, saying it was necessary to curb inflation.
Payment systems, monetary policy in Europe
The first of two articles published by the Financial Times on Friday 6 October looks at the issue of central bank "plumbing" which, it says, is creating a stink for the ECB. The second article concerns a letter sent by a group of monetarist economists to…
T2S is 'only solution': ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell
The European Central Bank sees its proposal on securities settlement, called TARGET2 Securities, as offering an "efficient organisation of central bank money", says Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, a member of the executive board, in an interview in the autumn…
ECB's Wellink says growth 'back on track'
European Central Bank governing council member Nout Wellink said on Thursday 5 October in Mexico that economic growth in the eurozone is "really coming back on track," but inflation risks remain on the upside.
Trichet says eurozone rates appropriate - for now
Speaking on French radio on Friday 6 October, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said the ECB's decision to raise interest rates to 3.25 percent left them at an appropriate level and that the latest increase was aimed to head off…
Trichet on bank transfer data from SWIFT
In a speech on the interception of bank transfer data from the SWIFT system by the US secret services given on 4 October Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said warned the European Parliament that any disruption to the SWIFT bank data sharing system could…
ECB raises rates, signals more to come
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet signalled the bank plans to raise its key interest rate again in December after raising eurozone rates on Thursday 5 October.
ECB not hamstrung by consensus decisions
According to this article published on Tuesday 3 October by Reuters, new information that the European Central Bank's Governing Council holds informal votes suggests it is not as clumsy and slow as some believed.
ECB says final decision on T2S in 2007
The European Central Bank will make a final decision on whether to proceed with its proposed Target 2 Securities settlement system in the first half of 2007, executive board member Gertrude Tumpell-Gugerell said Wednesday 4 October.