ECB Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE11 December 2019Governing Council has no objection to proposed candidate Isabel SchnabelThe Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) today adopted an opinion on a recommendation from the Council of the European Union on the appointment of a member of the ECB’s Executive Board.The Governing Council had no objection to the proposed candidate, Isabel Schnabel, who is a person of recognised standing and professional experience in monetary or banking matters, as required...

Speech by Benoît Cœuré, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the ECB Representative Office in Brussels, 3 December 2019It is my pleasure to welcome you here tonight to the ECB’s representative office in Brussels. It is overwhelming to see so many long-standing companions and friends.This office was established in the midst of the euro area sovereign debt crisis in 2011. Today, the Brussels office is part and parcel of the ECB. It is our eyes and ears on all European matters, thanks to...

SPEECHIntroductory statement by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, at the ECON committee of the European ParliamentBrussels, 2 December 2019Madam Chair,Honourable members of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee,Ladies and gentlemen,I am very happy to be back before this Committee for my first regular hearing as ECB President. I want to express my personal and sincere gratitude to this house for the support I received during the appointment process. And I look forward to a...

SPEECHIntroductory statement by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, at the ECON committee of the European ParliamentBrussels, 2 December 2019Madam Chair,Honourable members of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee,Ladies and gentlemen,I am very happy to be back before this Committee for my first regular hearing as ECB President. I want to express my personal and sincere gratitude to this house for the support I received during the appointment process. And I look forward to a...

INTERVIEWInterview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Pablo Rodríguez Suanzes on 25 November 20192 December 2019How are you finding life in Frankfurt? Frankfurt is a nice city, I like it. The ECB is the most important institution in the framework of the EU, and of the euro area in particular. Exposure to the public is very different to when you’re in government. Here, the relationship is mainly with the European Parliament, through hearings, and with the public,...

INTERVIEWInterview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Pablo Rodríguez Suanzes on 25 November 20192 December 2019How are you finding life in Frankfurt? Frankfurt is a nice city, I like it. The ECB is the most important institution in the framework of the EU, and of the euro area in particular. Exposure to the public is very different to when you’re in government. Here, the relationship is mainly with the European Parliament, through hearings, and with the public,...

Closing remarks by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, at the VIII High-level Policy Dialogue between Eurosystem and Latin American central banksCartagena, 29 November 2019After two days of fruitful discussions, I would like to thank you for a lively and honest exchange of views. I am grateful for your openness in sharing experiences and for the positive discussions on topics that are highly relevant for policymakers everywhere.Let me briefly summarise the key topics we addressed and...

PRESS RELEASE29 November 2019Survey results consistent with expectations of subdued growth Lack of availability of skilled labour and difficulty finding customers dominant concerns for SMEsSMEs’ financing conditions and access to finance remain favourable despite a deterioration in the general economic outlookFor the period from April to September 2019 the net percentage of euro area small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) turnover remained broadly stable at robust levels (20%, down from...

SPEECHRemarks by Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the National Treasury Management AgencyDublin, 28 November 2019It is a pleasure to address the Annual Investee and Business Leaders’ Dinner organised by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA).[1] I plan today to explore some of the factors determining the evolution of the real (that is, inflation-adjusted) interest rate over time.This is obviously relevant to the NTMA in its role as manager of Ireland’s...

SPEECHRemarks by Benoît Cœuré, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the PSE job forum, Paris School of EconomicsParis, 28 November 2019It is a true pleasure to be back here at the Paris School of Economics (PSE).You are now on the home stretch. I well remember how I felt during my own final year: excited, anxious and curious all at once.Over the next few months, you will need to take serious, life-changing decisions. The data suggest there is about a two-in-three chance that you will...