European Central Bank (ECB)
ECB official sees more cross-border bank mergers
European Central Bank executive board member Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell said on Friday 17 June that more cross-border mergers in the financial sector are likely to take place in Europe in the future, partly driven by the limits reached in domestic…
ECB's Issing says EMU needs political support
European Central Bank Chief Economist Otmar Issing said steady political support from all euro zone members will be necessary to guarantee the success of a single monetary policy for the area.
ECB's Papademos says structural reforms needed
European Central Bank vice-president Lucas Papademos said in a speech on Thursday differences in euro zone countries' growth rates result from structural factors and will have to be tackled by economic reforms in slow-growing countries.
Snow calls for Europe economic reforms
US Treasury Secretary John Snow urged Europeans on Thursday 16 June to better integrate their financial markets as a way to stimulate growth.
Issing on the Lisbon process - a view from the ECB
In the speech 'The Lisbon process - a view from the ECB' given on 9 June Otmar Issing of the ECB said concerns that ECB monetary policy may not be suitable for all euro zone countries are misplaced.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, June 2005
The European Central Bank published its June 2005 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday 9 June. The report says economic growth in the Eurozone will remain 'relatively subdued' in the second quarter of the year, but will pick up later.
Trichet on asset price bubbles and monetary policy
In the speech 'Asset price bubbles and monetary policy' given on 8 June Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said experience with past asset price boom episodes tells us that we should be very careful in calling a boom, which is observable, a bubble.
ECB's Papademos on the reformed stability pact
In the speech 'The political economy of the reformed Stability and Growth Pact: implications for fiscal and monetary policy' given on 3 June, Lucas Papademos of the ECB said the relaxation of the EU stability pact's rules could affect ECB interest rate…
Issing on the monetary pillar of the ECB
In the speech 'The monetary pillar of the ECB' given on 3 June Otmar Issing of the ECB said the ECB's monetary policy has been an undisputed success since the launch of the euro in 1999.
ECB's Financial Stability Review, June 2005
The European Central Bank published its June 2005 Financial Stability Review on 31 May. In the report the ECB said the outlook for financial stability is more mixed than six months ago.
Trichet on financial markets integration in Europe
In the speech 'Financial markets integration in Europe: the ECB's view' given on 26 May, Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said we are at a particularly crucial stage in terms of the regulation of EU securities markets and more in general financial…
Issing on the euro & financial market integration
In the speech 'The euro and European financial market integration' given on 31 May, Otmar Issing of the ECB said euro zone commercial banks adjust their borrowing and lending rates more quickly in response to central bank interest rate changes than they…
Trichet says Europe facing 'difficult moment'
The President of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, spoke on Monday night after France's rejection of the EU constitution, saying Europe faced "a difficult moment".
Schroder defeat could end Bofinger's ECB hopes
A defeat by Chancellor Gerhard Schroder in Germany's election in September could spell the end for Peter Bofinger's chances of succeeding Otmar Issing as the German representative on the European Central Bank's six-man executive board.
ECB's Gonzalez-Paramo on inflation differentials
In the speech 'Inflation differentials in the euro area' given on 23 May Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo of the ECB said lasting inflation differentials that are the product of misaligned national policies or structural inefficiencies may be damaging for the…
Trichet sees many euro members breaking pact rules
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Monday 23 May many euro zone governments look set to return deficits above the stability and growth pact's limit of 3 pct of GDP this year.
Issing: Govts must deal with growth differentials
European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said in a speech Friday 20 May euro zone growth differentials must be dealt with by national economic policies rather than by the ECB's interest rate policy.
The pact’s last stand
Political tensions have been contained by the deal on deficits, but at what cost to Europe’s fiscal regime and its single currency? William Clarke reports from Brussels.
Rato says US deficit weighing on world economy
The International Monetary Fund's forecast for global economic growth this year remains unchanged at 4.3 per cent although the US current account deficit is still weighing on the world economy, IMF chief Rodrigo Rato said on Thursday.
ECB's Papademos on monetary stability, integration
In the speech 'Monetary stability and financial integration in Europe' given on 9 May Lucas Papademos of the ECB said the ECB is committed to, and will continue to support, the process of structural reform in financial markets, as well as in labour and…
Dutch Paper on ECB support for the euro
The De Nederlandsche Bank Working Paper "Were verbal efforts to support the euro effective? A high-frequency analysis of ECB statements" published in April 2005 studies the effects of verbal interventions by European central bankers on high-frequency…
ECB's Gonzalez-Paramo promotes lower taxes
In a speech on Friday 13 May European Central Bank board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo said lower income taxes can reduce the need for interest rate rises in the long run.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, May 2005
The European Central Bank published its May 2005 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday 12 May. The regular survey of professional economic forecasters conducted by the ECB showed the experts have downgraded their growth forecasts for the euro zone economy for…
Tumpel-Gugerell: Interchange in a changing market
In the speech 'Interchange in a changing market: Observations from the euro area perspective' given on 6 May Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said we are aware of the problems and issues at stake in relation to interchange fees. For the moment, we see…