Eurozone
Tumpel-Gugerell on Central Counterparty Clearing
In the speech 'Issues related to Central Counterparty Clearing' given on 3 April Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the ECB's track record of containing inflation means that it does not have to hike interest rates aggressively when new inflation…
ECB's Trichet on EMU and the euro
In the speech 'EMU and the euro: successes and challenges' given on 30 March Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said euro zone interest rates are expected to remain at historically low levels for a long period.
ECB has sold 57 tons of gold
The European Central Bank said on Friday 31 March that it has completed a programme of gold sales amounting to 57 tons of gold.
ECB's Trichet on economic integration
In the speech 'Economic integration in the euro area' given on 31 March Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said some eurozone countries are losing competitiveness due to high wage growth.
Tumpel-Gugerell on ECB, Italy & Eastern Europe
In the speech 'The European Central Bank, Italy and the integration of Eastern Europe' given on 31 March Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the ECB's track record of containing inflation means that it does not have to hike interest rates…
New ECB premises project
As part of the preparations for the construction of the new ECB premises, the European Central Bank said on Tuesday 28 March that it has commissioned searches of the site.
ECB's Bini Smaghi: IMF risks becoming secretariat
European Central Bank (ECB) board member Lorenzo Bini Smaghi said the International Monetary Fund needs to give the ECB and eurozone stronger representation, according to an interview by the Financial Times.
ECB paper on the effects of EMU
The ECB Working Paper "What effects is EMU having on the euro area and its member countries? An overview" published March 2006, addresses the effects of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) since the introduction of the euro -- on economic and…
ECB's Issing on the euro
In the speech 'The euro - a currency without a state' given on 24 March Otmar Issing of the ECB said the application of the revised EU stability pact rules to Germany will be the key test of whether the new pact is being applied rigorously.
Estonia sees 'unlikely' January move to euro
The Bank of Estonia has concurred with economic forecasts by the Ministry of Finance that suggest higher than expected inflation will hamper Estonia's plans to join the euro zone in 2007.
Trichet praises ECB's courage on rates
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said the ECB's "courageous" decision to maintain a low level of interest rates in recent years has meant a more marked slowdown in eurozone growth has been prevented and helped economic recovery.
Establishing credibility at the ECB
The IIIS Discussion Paper "Establishing credibility: Evolving perceptions of the European Central Bank" looks at the first years of the ECB to consider whether, and how, central bank credibility evolves.
ECB's Gonzalez-Paramo on monetary policy
In the speech 'Uncertainty and gradualism in monetary policy' given on 17 March Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo of the ECB said hard data currently available indicates that the euro zone is growing at a rate higher to that forecast by the Bank in December.
Trichet says no foregone decision on rates
Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, said on Monday 20 March that its governing council had not already decided to continue with a series of monthly rate increases.
ECB's Liebscher sees strong stable growth
Growth in the euro zone remains stable and strong even after the European Central Bank's interest rate hike, ECB Governing Council member Klaus Liebscher said in an interview published on Wednesday 15 March.
Trichet says euro zone growth around 2%
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said in an interview to be published Thursday 16 March that survey data suggests the euro zone economy will grow at its potential rate of around 2 pct.
Excess liquidity clinches case for ECB rate rises
According to this recent article, several factors, including a lack of dissenting voices on the ECB Governing Council, have persuaded financial markets in recent days that the ECB is heading faster than previously expected toward an interest rate of 3…
Monetary policy: a journey from theory to practice
The European Central Bank is holding a colloquium in honour of Otmar Issing in Frankfurt am Main, 16 - 17 March 2006. Contributors include Mervyn King, Donald Kohn, Lars Svensson and Allan Meltzer.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, March 2006
The European Central Bank published its March 2006 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday. In the report the ECB said the decline of the euro and relatively low interest rates contributed to the strong performance of euro zone stock markets last year.
Comment: Has the ECB become more credible?
A recent New York Fed staff paper finds that market perceptions of the ECB's "inflation aversion" have improved significantly over the last six years, reflecting the idea that monetary policy has been guided by a dedication to price stability.
Evolving perceptions of the European Central Bank
The New York Fed Staff Report "Establishing credibility: evolving perceptions of the European Central Bank" says the perceptions of a central bank's inflation aversion may reflect institutional structure or, more dynamically, the history of its policy…
ECB publication of an enhanced 'Blue Book'
The European Central Bank on Monday 6 March published a statistical addendum to the publication "Payment and securities settlement systems in the European Union and in the acceding countries" (known as the "Blue Book") incorporating 2004 data.
Inflation risk explains rate hike - Trichet
Speaking to journalists on Monday 6 March, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said the ECB raised rates last week because of an increase in inflation risks in recent months.
ECB statements and interest rate predictability
The DNB Working Paper "Is a word to the wise indeed enough? ECB statements and the predictability of interest rate decisions" shows that comments by euro area central bankers contain information on future ECB interest rate decisions, but that the…