Germany
Bundesbank lowers German growth forecast
The Bundesbank has revised downwards its forecast for growth of the German economy next year to 1.2-1.3% from an earlier prognosis of 1.5% strength of the euro hits exports from the eurozone's largest economy.
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, October 2004
The Deutsche Bundesbank's October 2004 Monthly Report said the stability of the German financial system has strengthened further since the end of last year. This was assisted, the report says, by the rapid brightening of the macroeconomic climate in the…
Bundesbank's Weber on stability and growth
In a speech on 'Stability and growth' given on 19 November, Axel Weber of the Deutsche Bundesbank said stability and growth go hand in hand. The Lisbon agenda and the Stability and Growth Pact complement each other in lifting the EU's growth potential…
ECB already doing enough for growth-Weber
Bundesbank president Axel Weber told journalists Monday that the European Central Bank is doing "all it can" to support eurozone growth.
Buba warns 'substantial risk' of deficit breach
The Bundesbank warned on Monday 22 November that Germany risks breaking the EU's tight budget rules again next year, even if it insists it will be able to meet its deficit commitments in 2005. In its November monthly report the German central bank said…
IMF says Germany's budget aims 'challenging'
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned in a report that Germany's budget deficit could breach EU rules in 2005 if additional economic measures are not taken by the government.
Buba's Weber on the state of European integration
In the speech 'State and challenges of the European integration' given on 25 October Axel Weber of the Deutsche Bundesbank said we have a good prospect of dealing successfully with the growing diversity of the EU economy after enlargement if monetary,…
Remsperger on the Bundesbank's view of the outlook
In a speech on 'The Bundesbank's view of the economic outlook and economic policy challenges' given on 25 October, Hermann Remsperger of the Deutsche Bundesbank said the German economy remains vulnerable to a slowdown in global economic activity. This is…
ECB's Weber says euro appreciation not justified
European Central Bank council member Axel Weber said Europe's single currency may have appreciated against the dollar more than can be justified by economic arguments.
Buba's Weber on European inflation dynamics
In a speech on 'European inflation dynamics and inflation convergence' given on 15 October, Axel Weber of the Bundesbank said we still do not know enough about the factors that determine inflation persistence in the euro area and we cannot even be sure…
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, September 2004
The Deutsche Bundesbank's September 2004 Monthly Report finds that according to the latest data, industry is still on an upward trend. Following weaker figures in June, both new orders and output showed a further clear seasonally adjusted rise in July,…
Bundesbank comments annoy German officials
The German government expressed annoyance at the Bundesbank on Thursday 21 October following a press report which suggested the German central bank was sceptical about Berlin's growth forecast for next year.
Remsperger on FDI and the Deutsche Bundesbank
In the a on 'FDI and the Deutsche Bundesbank' given on 8 October, Hermann Remsperger of the Bundesbank said the German economy has been one of the driving forces behind the globalisation process. The diverse and ever-changing transmission mechanisms of…
Buba's Weber on the stability and growth pact
In a speech given on 27 September, Bundesbank president Axel Weber said that in his opinion the provisions of the Stability and Growth Pact are fundamentally appropriate. However, they have not always been enforced rigorously enough in the past.
Buba's Stark sees risk to growth from oil price
Bundesbank Vice-President Juergen Stark has said in an interview that record oil prices pose a greater risk to the euro region's economic growth prospects than they do to inflation.
Trichet note change sparks forgery claims
Berlin police have reassured citizens worried about an unfamiliar signature on their new euro notes that the money is genuine, news agencies report.
George says France, Germany right to flout pact
Lord George, the former Bank of England governor, has hit out at the European Central Bank in an interview to be published this week, saying that its recent actions are damaging confidence in the eurozone's monetary policy.
Oil to affect growth not inflation says Eichel
German Finance Minister Hans Eichel said the increase in oil prices will have a stronger effect on economic growth in Germany than on the country's inflation rate.
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, August 2004
German business confidence dropped for the third month in four in August and the number of unemployed rose to the highest since May of last year. The surge in oil prices to record levels this year may further delay a recovery in consumer spending, the…
Eichel raps Bundesbank over stability pact
German Finance Minister Hans Eichel rapped the Bundesbank on Friday 10 September for its recent criticism of the EU's proposed changes to the stability and growth pact in a press release titled "Do not weaken the Stability and Growth Pact".
Bundesbank statement on EC proposals
Responding on Tuesday 7 September to the European Commission's proposals for reform of the Stability and Growth Pact, the Bundesbank said it believed that instead of strengthening the Pact, the proposed changes would have a "generally detrimental" effect…
EU budget plans would hurt ECB policy, says Buba
The Bundesbank said that the European Commission's intention to relax budget rules would damage the European Central Bank's ability to set interest rates in the eurozone, according to Bloomberg, which quoted an email.
Buba's Stark sceptical on budget pledge
The Bundesbank believes the German public deficit, set to exceed EU limits for the third year in a row this year, will again be higher than the European Stability and Growth Pact allows next year, the financial daily Boersen-Zeitung reported.
Germany's Eichel : no more budget cuts yet
German Finance Minister Hans Eichel said on Sunday 8 August that the economic recovery was not yet firmly established enough for him to impose more budget cuts, and that he would make added savings only when growth was more sustained.