European Central Bank

International organisation · regional

Sources we read

• European Central Bank - Press central bank

Recent statements

• Christine Lagarde: Interview with Yomiuri Shimbun 2026-11-07 · event: Christine Lagarde interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov 2026

  In an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, ECB President Christine Lagarde discusses women in leadership, inflation and monetary policy, fiscal risks in France, AI-related cyber risks, Europe-Japan cooperation, digital euro, her early departure, and other topics.

• ECB publishes consolidated banking data for end-June 2026 2026-11-06 · event: ECB consolidated banking data for end-June 2026

  The ECB published consolidated banking data for end-June 2026, reporting higher total assets, a slightly higher non-performing loans ratio, and stated profitability and capital ratios for EU-headquartered credit institutions.

• Isabel Schnabel: Navigating stormy waters: reflections on monetary policy 2026-11-05 · event: Isabel Schnabel speech 'Navigating stormy waters', 5 Nov 2026

  In a personal farewell-style speech at the ECB Conference on Money Markets 2026, Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel reflects on lessons for monetary policy in four takeaways: preserving flexibility, responding to the inflation outlook rather than shock types, protecting monetary dominance against financial and fiscal risks, and implementing policy with a lean balance sheet.

• Piero Cipollone: Shaping the future of money 2026-11-05 · event: Piero Cipollone speech 'Shaping the future of money', 5 Nov 2026

  In a keynote speech in Tirana, ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone outlines four Eurosystem initiatives on the future of money: banknote modernisation, the digital euro, tokenised asset settlement (Pontes and Appia), and interlinking fast payment systems.

• ECB wage tracker suggests slightly higher wage growth in first three quarters of 2027 compared with the full year of 2026 2026-11-04 · event: ECB wage tracker update, November 2026

  The ECB publishes an update of its wage tracker, which it says indicates negotiated wage growth of 2.3% in 2026 and higher figures for the first part of 2027, with the forward-looking part based on still-limited employee coverage.

• Boris Vujčić: Integrated, open and resilient: Europe’s strengths in a fragmenting world 2026-11-02 · event: Vujčić speech 'Integrated, open and resilient', 2 Nov 2026

  ECB Vice-President Boris Vujčić argues in a Dublin speech that Europe should retain the benefits of openness by building resilience, and that deeper integration of the Single Market, especially financial integration, strengthens risk sharing and resilience.

• Philip R. Lane: AI adoption in Europe 2026-10-30 · event: Philip R. Lane speech 'AI adoption in Europe', 30 Oct 2026

  ECB Executive Board member Philip R. Lane describes how AI is reshaping the euro area economy, covering digital investment, trade and financial flows linked to AI, and AI adoption by firms and workers as shown in ECB surveys and data.

• Decisions taken by the Governing Council of the ECB (in addition to decisions setting interest rates) 2026-10-30 · events: Announcement of Christine Lagarde's departure as ECB President, 29 Oct 2026; ECB approval of T2 payment agreements with Riksbank and Danmarks Nationalbank, Oct 2026; ECB legal opinions on legislation in Belgium, Cyprus and Slovenia, Oct 2026; ECB amendment to Eurosystem accounting and financial reporting guideline, 22 Oct 2026; ECB appointment of Chair of the Legal Committee, Nov 2026; Extension of ESCB Western Balkans cooperation programme to Moldova and Ukraine, Oct 2026

  The ECB publishes a list of Governing Council decisions taken in October 2026 other than interest rate decisions, covering the announced departure of President Lagarde, payment system agreements, legal opinions, accounting guideline changes, a committee chair appointment and a cooperation programme extension.

• Results of the ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters for the fourth quarter of 2026 2026-10-30 · event: ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters, Q4 2026

  The ECB publishes the results of its Survey of Professional Forecasters for Q4 2026, with expert forecasts for euro area inflation, GDP growth, unemployment and wages. The survey results do not represent the views of the ECB's decision-making bodies or staff.

• Piero Cipollone: Next-day securities settlement, tokenisation and the transformation of Europe’s financial infrastructure 2026-10-29 · event: Piero Cipollone speech on next-day settlement and tokenisation, 29 Oct 2026

  ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone, in a keynote at an EU T+1 Industry Committee event, outlines the move to T+1 securities settlement in October 2027 and the Eurosystem's related work on T2S, DLT and tokenisation.

• Christine Lagarde, Boris Vujčić: Monetary policy statement (with Q&A) 2026-10-29 · events: ECB monetary policy decision of 29 Oct 2026; Announcement of Christine Lagarde's departure as ECB President, 29 Oct 2026

  The ECB kept its three key interest rates unchanged on 29 October 2026, citing energy-driven inflation risks, a downside risk to growth, and tighter financing conditions; the press conference also covered monetary policy debate, bond markets, and the President's announced departure.

• Monetary policy decisions 2026-10-29 · event: ECB monetary policy decision of 29 Oct 2026

  The ECB Governing Council kept its three key interest rates unchanged, citing rising energy prices as a risk to both inflation and growth, and said future decisions will be data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting.

• ECB President Lagarde to step down on 7 February 2027 2026-10-29 · event: Announcement of Christine Lagarde's departure as ECB President, 29 Oct 2026

  The European Central Bank announces that its President, Christine Lagarde, will step down on 7 February 2027, and that her successor will be appointed by the European Council under the Treaty procedure.

• October 2026 euro area bank lending survey 2026-10-27 · event: ECB October 2026 euro area bank lending survey

  The ECB's October 2026 bank lending survey reports that euro area banks further tightened credit standards and reduced loan demand in Q3 2026, mainly citing risk perceptions and interest rates, and expect further tightening in Q4 2026.

• Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises: lending conditions tightened 2026-10-26 · event: ECB Survey on Access to Finance of Enterprises, Q3 2026 (40th round)

  The ECB reports results of the 40th round of its Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises (SAFE) for the euro area, covering Q3 2026, showing further net tightening of bank loan conditions and a decline in loan availability greater than financing needs.