The ECB Blog
A European view on central banking and the economy
The ECB Blog offers new insights on the economy and central bank policies based on our data, analysis and research - for the euro area and beyond. Posts are authored by ECB staff and Executive Board members.
Subscribe to the ECB blog20 January 2025
Why prudent projections are the backbone of sound stress testing
Stress tests are of crucial importance to assess banks’ resilience under adverse economic conditions. In previous stress tests, however, some banks submitted overly optimistic projections. Despite thorough quality assurance by supervisors, this behaviour makes it more likely that the risks some banks face are underestimated. To address this, we are now taking a closer look at insufficiently prudent projection submissions. In line with our supervisory focus on banks’ risk data aggregation and reporting capabilities, we are also looking more closely at poor data quality issues in stress tests.
Read more1 November 2024
The digital euro: what’s in it for you?
As they juggle various cards, apps and devices, most Europeans find that digital payments have fallen short of their promise to provide a convenient euro area-wide solution. The ECB’s Piero Cipollone explains how a digital euro would blend the simplicity of cash with digital convenience.
25 June 2024
Maintaining the freedom to choose how we pay
A digital euro would combine the convenience of digital payments with cash-like features. ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone explains how a digital euro would enhance Europeans’ freedom of choice when deciding how to pay.
8 June 2024
Why we adjusted interest rates
The ECB has cut interest rates. President Christine Lagarde explains why and sets out what still needs to be done to bring inflation back to 2% over the medium term.
30 December 2023
Euro at 25: the value of unity in a changing world
25 years ago, on 1 January 1999, the euro came into force as the single currency for 11 EU Member States. It now serves the economy and eases life for 350 million people in 20 countries.
24 November 2023
Now is the time to climate-proof Europe’s economy
Europe must push the green transition forward if it wants to remain competitive in the world. New technologies and green energy aren’t just better for the environment, they also make good economic sense. To be successful, however, the transition needs to be just and inclusive.
28 June 2023
Why Europe needs a digital euro
Contribution by Fabio Panetta, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, and Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission
24 May 2023
25 years of euro unity
The euro is more than a currency, says President Christine Lagarde. It is the strongest form of European integration and stands for a united Europe that works together, protecting and benefiting all its citizens. The ECB, with its commitment to price stability, will always be a cornerstone of that effort.
9 March 2023
Channelling Europe's savings into growth
Europe must speed up its green and digital transition. For that, we need to complete the Capital Markets Union to provide effective financing. This is the plea made by the five Presidents of the ECB, EIB, European Council, European Commission and Eurogroup in a joint post.
27 January 2023
Remembering the Holocaust: we owe it to the victims and to ourselves
The ECB’s main building in Frankfurt stands on a site linked to the atrocities of the Holocaust. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we affirm that tyranny and state injustice must never again prevail. Building European unity is a cornerstone of this commitment.
23 July 2022
Ensuring price stability
Raising interest rates is a landmark moment on our journey towards lower inflation, writes President Christine Lagarde in The ECB Blog.
8 July 2022
A catalyst for greening the financial system
The ECB is reducing the carbon footprint in its portfolio and pushing banks to better manage climate risks. Within our mandate, we incorporate climate change considerations into our monetary policy and banking supervision, say Frank Elderson and Isabel Schnabel.
31 December 2021
Happy anniversary to euro cash!
Europe and the euro have become inseparable, President Christine Lagarde writes in The ECB Blog to mark the 20th anniversary of euro banknotes and coins. She recalls her first encounter with a euro banknote, and reflects on how far the euro has come and what lies ahead.
4 November 2021
Charting a course for climate action
The COP26 summit is a vital opportunity to set out a clear path towards a zero-carbon world, President Lagarde writes in a blog post. While the road ahead may seem daunting, she argues that a credible transition path will need clear signposts to break it up into more manageable stages.
14 July 2021
Preparing for the euro’s digital future
We have decided to launch a project to prepare for possibly issuing a digital euro. A digital euro will be successful if it adds value for people, merchants and financial intermediaries in the euro area, explains Executive Board member Fabio Panetta in The ECB Blog.
1 April 2021
Inflation dynamics during a pandemic
The recent volatility of inflation can largely be attributed to the nature of the pandemic shock, writes Chief Economist Philip R. Lane. The increase in inflation during early 2021 does not constitute the basis for a sustained shift in inflation dynamics.
18 March 2021
Shining a light on climate risks: the ECB’s economy-wide climate stress test
The damage caused by more frequent and severe natural disasters far exceeds the costs of transitioning to a greener economy, writes Vice-President Luis de Guindos in his ECB Blog post on our first climate stress test for banks and companies.
8 March 2021
Choose to challenge women’s roles at home, at work and in our society
One year into the pandemic, we can clearly see that the social and economic impact of the virus is particularly hard for women, writes President Christine Lagarde. In response we must choose to challenge women’s roles at home, at work and in our society.
13 February 2021
Greening monetary policy
Climate change requires urgent action and we at the ECB must be committed to doing our part, says Executive Board member Frank Elderson. The EU Treaties define clear obligations and limits. They provide substantial scope for the ECB to take action on climate change.
2 December 2020
Money in the digital era
The results of the ECB’s latest study on payment behaviours suggest that no single means of payment currently available meets all consumer needs, Executive Board member Fabio Panetta writes in The ECB Blog. This underlines the importance of continuing to give people a choice on how to pay.
2 October 2020
We must be prepared to issue a digital euro
We should be ready to issue a digital euro if and when it is necessary, writes Executive Board member Fabio Panetta. The euro is a currency that Europeans trust. We need to make sure that it is fit for the future.
28 April 2020
Beyond monetary policy – protecting the continuity and safety of payments during the coronavirus crisis
The ECB is working to protect the continuity and safety of payments during the coronavirus pandemic, writes Executive Board member Fabio Panetta in The ECB Blog. Europeans can trust in our commitment to support them throughout this crisis.
9 April 2020
How the ECB is helping firms and households
Our response to coronavirus is designed to reach the firms and families facing a steep loss of income and rising anxiety about the future, writes President Christine Lagarde. She adds that full alignment of fiscal and monetary policies is the best way to protect productive capacity and employment.
19 March 2020
Our response to the coronavirus emergency
We are committed to playing our role in supporting every citizen of the euro area through this extremely challenging time, President Christine Lagarde writes in The ECB Blog. Our temporary pandemic emergency purchase programme is designed to address the unprecedented situation our monetary union faces.