Eurozone
Mersch says ECB will have to lift rates further
European Central Bank Governing Council member Yves Mersch said in an interview that eurozone interest rates will need to keep rising because of increased risks to price stability but that there was no fixed schedule.
ECB's Trichet on structural reforms in Europe
In the speech 'Structural reforms in Europe' given on 22 May Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said the European Union is undergoing an important process of reforms of its socio-economic model so as to adapt it to future challenges.
ECB wants action on reform agenda - Trichet
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet on Monday 22 May called on the EU to implement its structural reform programme which has been revamped.
ECB's Target Annual Report 2005
The European Central Bank (ECB) published the TARGET Annual Report 2005 on Friday 19 May. This publication, which is the sixth of its kind, gives an overview of TARGET operations in 2005.
Liebscher says ECB worried on inflation
Austrian national bank governor Klaus Liebscher told reporters Friday 19 May that the European Central Bank is worried about risks to the eurozone's inflation outlook.
EU parliament backs Stark for ECB
MEPs approved the appointment of Jurgen Stark to the Executive Board of the European Central Bank in a vote on Wednesday 17 May.
Enforcement and the stability and growth pact
The IMF Working Paper "Enforcement and the stability and growth pact: How fiscal policy did and did not change under Europe's fiscal framework" published May 2006, says that the Stability and Growth Pact has been a success in numerous EU countries,…
ECB Convergence Report May 2006
The European Central Bank (ECB) on Tuesday 16 May published a Convergence Report which has been prepared following requests for a country examination from Slovenia on 2 March 2006 and Lithuania on 16 March 2006.
ECB not worried by dollar weakness says Liebscher
The European Central Bank is unperturbed by the dollar's current weakness and may still proceed with an interest rate increase next month, Austrian central bank chief Klaus Liebscher said in a newspaper interview published Tuesday 16 May.
EU vetoes Lithuanian euro entry, endorses Slovenia
This article published Tuesday 16 May reports news that the European Union has turned down Lithuania's bid to adopt the euro, the first time a nation has been rejected since the common currency's creation in 1999. However, Slovenia has got the nod of…
Weber on oil price shocks and monetary policy
In the speech 'Oil price shocks and monetary policy in the euro area' given on 11 May Axel Weber of the Deutsche Bundesbank said the inflationary risks connected with runaway record oil prices are likely to increase as the economic recovery in the…
ECB's Trichet on two successes of the euro
In the speech 'Two successes of the euro: the single monetary policy and European financial integration' given on 11 May Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said that the central bank is on high alert over inflationary dangers, is exercising "strong vigilance…
How bold a move from the ECB?
According to this article published Friday 12 May, a rate increase at the European Central Bank's upcoming meeting is almost certain, with estimates ranging between 25 and 50 basis points.
Euro critical when Issing goes missing?
Sunday 14 May's Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung contained a portrait of ECB chief economist Otmar Issing under the headline "The preacher". Without Issing the euro could weaken considerably, it said.
ECB's Trichet on European financial integration
In the speech 'The process of European financial integration' given on 11 May Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said European financial integration still lags behind, particularly in retail banking and financial infrastructure services, despite the progress…
Comment: Flawed convergence criteria?
Willem Buiter and Anne Sibert, two London-based academics, have slammed the Maastricht criteria for entry into the eurozone. They point to a number of inconsistencies in way the conditions are applied and suggest that the current formulation "makes no…
ECB pledges price stability, oil risks worsen
The article "ECB bankers pledge price stability, oil risks worsen" published Thursday 11 May says that the oil shock threatens to push up core inflation in the eurozone, a danger the European Central Bank ignores at its peril.
Hungary's Jarai calls budget 'undisciplined'
Hungary's central bank governor launched a strongly worded attack on the budgetary management of Hungary's socialist prime minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany on Thursday 11 May.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, May 2006
The European Central Bank published its May 2006 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday 11 May. In the report the ECB reiterated its outlook that monetary and credit growth remains very dynamic in the euro area and strong vigilance is needed to ensure price…
Austria's Liebscher says oil biggest eurozone risk
Austrian national bank governor Klaus Liebscher told reporters on Thursday 11 May that high oil prices pose the biggest threat to the eurozone economy.
ECB's Bini Smaghi on the growth of pension funds
In the speech 'The growth of pension funds and financial markets: Implications for central banks' given on 4 May (published 8 May) Lorenzo Bini Smaghi of the ECB said financial muscle of the world's pension funds may make it harder for central bank…
German pay policy points to a eurozone design flaw
According to this article by Paul de Grauwe, published Friday 5 May, in spite of the fact that the eurozone is a union of countries which set their monetary policy jointly, wage policies have been characterised by a blatant co-ordination failure.
Trichet 'not satisfied' with inflation over 2%
Speaking at the Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce on Friday 5 May, Jean-Claude Trichet said the European Central Bank is 'not satisfied' with inflation above 2 pct in the euro zone.
Comment: Unravelling the RBA hike
The Reserve Bank of Australia has joined the world's leading central banks in tightening mode. Last week's rate rise was largely unexpected and opinion is split over how far the central bank will go in hiking rates this year.