Eurozone
ECB's Issing says rise in inflation is worrying
The oil-driven increase in Eurozone inflation is worrying because it could drive up inflationary expectations, European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said in an interview that was published on Wednesday 19 October.
Issing: ECB will act if inflation 'out of control'
European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said in an interview that the ECB will not hesitate to raise interest rates if medium-term inflation pressures increase.
Gonzalez-Paramo on the Stability and Growth Pact
In the speech 'The reform of the Stability and Growth Pact: an assessment' given on 13 October Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo of the ECB said in EMU, fiscal rules are needed to ensure stability, growth and cohesion in the euro area.
ECB rates still appropriate according to Trichet
ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said on Sunday 16 October that European Central Bank interest rates were "still appropriate" and that second-round inflationary pressures from oil prices had not developed so far.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, October 2005
The European Central Bank published its October 2005 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday 13 October. In the report the ECB reiterated that it is exercising strong vigilance on inflation risks coming from higher oil prices.
Joint Eurosystem - Bank of Russia seminar
The Eurosystem - the European Central Bank and the national central banks of the euro area - and the Bank of Russia are holding their second joint seminar, which takes place from 12 to 14 October in Saint Petersburg.
ECB's Garganas sees no need for rate rise
The European Central Bank sees no need to raise eurozone interest rates if area-wide inflation slows to less than 2.0 percent next year, governing council member and Greek central bank chief Nicholas Garganas said in a newspaper interview.
Comment: An EMU fairy tale revisited
In 1996, David Lascelles wrote an imaginative and controversial report titled "The Crash of 2003: an EMU Fairy Tale", which was presented as a fictional report into the demise of the single currency.
Comment: ECB on banking in the EU
The ECB recently published its annual report on EU banking structures, outlining the main developments in the sector in 2004 and the first half of 2005. The report identifies a number of important structural developments that are of great importance for…
ECB's Trichet on the euro area economy
In the speech 'The euro area economy: determinants of growth, competitiveness and the need for structural reforms' given on 10 October Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said euro zone growth may fall below 2 pct in the period up to 2010 and below 1.5 pct by…
Hungary's Jarai warns deficit moving wrong way
Hungarian central bank governor Zsigmond Jarai warned in an interview on Monday 10 October that the country's budget deficit is moving in the wrong direction for euro membership.
Trichet says vigilance needed on inflation risks
ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet said on Friday 7 October that the threat of inflation in the eurozone should be watched carefully due mainly to high property prices.
Financing conditions in the euro area
According to this Occasional Paper from the ECB, for central banks, the monitoring of financing conditions plays a pivotal role in assessing the actual transmission of monetary policy impulses to borrowers.
Eurosystem currency reserves down
The European Central Bank said net foreign currency reserves in the eurosystem decreased by 0.7 bln eur to 165.4 bln in the week ending 30 September.
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on euro payments area
European Central Bank executive board member Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell said foreign banks will take the leading role in restructuring the European banking sector if domestic banks move too slowly to create a single eurozone payments area.
ECB's power over market inflation outlook queried
According to this article published on Friday 30 September, the European Central Bank may have less control over financial markets' inflation expectations than it thinks, despite its increased rhetoric about the importance of keeping them under control.
IMF's Deppler sees eurozone recovery on horizon
A top IMF official said on Friday 30 September that the potential economic growth rate for the eurozone should rise above 2% in the next few years, but high oil prices could delay the recovery.
ECB's Papademos on growth in euro area economies
In the speech 'Growth and competitiveness in euro area economies' given on 22 September Lucas Papademos of the ECB said growth in Germany and Italy has lagged behind the rest of the euro zone in recent years because of specific structural problems in the…
ECB Observer - Back to the rules
This publication released on Tuesday 27 September suggests that by publishing Governing Council meeting minutes, the ECB could improve the transparency and efficiency of its monetary policy substantially, thereby supporting its stability-oriented course.
The ECB: Villain, or a savior of Europe?
According to this article published on Saturday 24 September, the challenges facing the European Central Bank are particularly acute, with the ECB under fire for refusing to deviate from its inflation-fighting mandate in order to stoke growth through…
Confidence in stability keeping rates low- Trichet
Interest rates in the Eurozone are at their lowest level thanks to confidence in price stability inspired by ECB policy, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said, in an interview to be published in Le Figaro.
ECB's Papademos on the new EU Member States
In a speech given on 19 September Lucas Papademos of the ECB said that the ECB so far sees no sign that costly energy is pushing up wages and prices broadly throughout the eurozone economy.
ECB's Gonzalez-Paramo on regional divergence
In the speech 'Regional divergence in the euro area' given on 19 September Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo of the ECB said growth and inflation differentials among euro countries are far from being large, whether from a historical perspective or compared…
Comment: Divergence and monetary policy
The issue of regional economic divergence continues to attract much attention from policymakers and academics studying the eurozone. The issue is particularly important for the ECB, as it is often mentioned that divergent economic performance across…