Eurozone
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.
Swift defends role in data exchange
Swift, the Belgian company accused of transferring data on financial transactions to the US authorities, has refuted claims that it acted illegally.
ECB paper on international portfolio flows
The European Central Bank Working Paper "The geography of international portfolio flows, international CAPM and the role of monetary policy frameworks," says that global equity markets might be more integrated than global bond markets.
Monetary policy in the media
This European Central Bank Working Paper, published 29 September, analyses the coverage which ECB monetary policy decisions receive in the print media, and the determinants of its extent and of its favourableness.
Gonzalez-Paramo on the design of monetary policy
In the speech 'Expectations, uncertainty and the design of monetary policy' given on 28 September Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo of the ECB said as regards the predictability of monetary policy, policy moves have been well anticipated by money markets.
ECB's Bini Smaghi on an ageing society
In the speech 'Democratic representation and economic policy rules in an ageing society' given on 28 September Lorenzo Bini Smaghi of the ECB said ageing population and negative demographics may jeopardize the financial and political sustainability of…
ECB's Stark on central bank independence
In the speech 'The role of central banks in economic and personal finance education' given on 29 September Jurgen Stark of the ECB made some pointed remarks indirectly warning Poland's government against interfering with the country's central bank.
ECB will move forward with financial integration
A European Central Bank executive board member signalled in comments to the Financial Times, published Friday 29 September, that the ECB will push ahead with plans to increase eurozone financial integration by providing securities settlement services,…
Weber sees inflation risks despite oil price fall
Germany's Bundesbank president Axel Weber said Thursday 28 September the eurozone still faces inflation risks despite the recent dip in oil prices.
Tumpel-Gugerell on financial system modernisation
In the speech 'Opening remarks at the conference on Financial System Modernisation and Economic Growth in Europe' given on 28 September Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said EU economic growth has been disappointing in the period since the launch of…
Kosovo revamps banking system to bolster economy
This article published by VOA on Saturday 23 September says that the move to transform the Banking and Payments Authority of Kosovo into a central bank will provide more independence and regulatory authority to Kosovo's new banking system.
ECB's Trichet says Europe lags US on labour
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet told a panel discussion on Saturday 23 September that labour productivity is the biggest problem facing the eurozone economy.