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ECB’s Villeroy: Vigilant But Confident About 2021 5.75% French GDP Growth Forecast

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member François Villeroy de Galhau said Wednesday that he was optimistic about the outlook for French economic growth this year even in the event of another round of pandemic containment measures.

ECB Insight: German Job Market Strength Raises Inflation Stakes

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The strong performance of the euro area’s largest national labour market this month raises the stakes for the European Central Bank, suggesting as it does that the missing piece of the medium-term price stability puzzle could conceivably fall into place after all.

Banque de France First Deputy Governor: At Acceleration Point on Road to Recovery

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The French economy is at an inflection point from which its recovery should accelerate, Banque de France First Deputy Governor Denis Beau said Tuesday.

ECB’s Lagarde: As Pandemic Passes, Must Shift Focus to Transforming Economy

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde on Tuesday implicitly recognised the waning of the pandemic-related crisis and called for the focus to shift in tandem with this development from preserving to transforming the economy.

EXCLUSIVE: European Investment Bank: End of PEPP Not a Big Concern for EIB

By David Barwick – Frankfurt (Econostream) – The eventual winding down of the European Central Bank’s pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) is not a major concern for the European Investment Bank.

ECB’s de Guindos Should Handle Transition from PEPP as Smoothly as Possible

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The transition from the European Central Bank’s pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) should be as smooth as possible, ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said Monday.

ECB Brief: De Guindos Sees Economic Outlook Brightening, Breaks No New Ground

ECB’s de Cos: Must Continue to Help Recovery Via Favourable Financing Conditions

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The European Central Bank must continue to facilitate a sustainable economic recovery by ensuring that financing conditions remain favourable, ECB Governing Council member Pablo Hernández de Cos said Monday.

ECB Brief: Weidmann Sees Germany in Good Shape, Doesn’t Drop Any Policy Bombs

Bank of Greece: PEPP End Could Boost Greek Government Borrowing Costs

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Potentially higher borrowing costs to be borne by the Greek government if the European Central Bank ends its pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) may be one of the hurdles the Greek economy will face in the medium term, according to the Bank of Greece on Monday

ECB Insight: Lagarde’s Who-Could-Have-Ever-Imagined Act

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – What a difference a few weeks make. After suggesting in late May that the strength of the economic recovery was no better than as expected and actually not all that robust, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde now seems to be contemplating the positive evolution with eyes wide and jaw slack.

ECB Brief: Panetta Wants Fiscal Authorities to Spend and PEPP Flexibility to Be Retained

ECB’s Centeno: Room for Monetary Policy to Keep a Steady Hand

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The European Central Bank has the policy room to maintain a steady hand and continue to ensure favourable financing conditions, ECB Governing Council member Mario Centeno said Monday.

ECB’s Lagarde: Economic Recovery Faster Than Anticipated

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde on Friday claimed to be surprised at the strength of the euro area’s economic rebound.

ECB Brief: ECB’s Schnabel Upbeat on Economy, a Bit Less Sure Than Some That Inflation Won't Recover

ECB: Important to Provide Fiscal Support, But Also to Strengthen Fiscal Sustainability

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Fiscal support for the recovery is needed for the moment, but euro area member states must also think about shoring up their fiscal affairs, the European Central Bank said on Thursday.

ECB: Upward Price Effects From Semiconductor Shortages Could Show Up With Big Lag

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The current shortage of semiconductors can’t be clearly said to have had price effects yet, but these could develop with a significant time lag, the European Central Bank said on Thursday.

ECB Economic Bulletin: Preserving Favourable Financing Conditions Essential

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Maintaining favourable financing conditions is an essential part of ensuring the recovery and restoring price stability, the European Central Bank said on Thursday, reiterating the introductory statement of June 10.

ECB Research Bulletin: Central Fiscal Authority Could Help Avoid Low-Inflation Trap

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – When monetary policy is up against the lower bound, fiscal policy is called on to avoid a self-fulfilling low-inflation trap, according to a research bulletin published Thursday by the European Central Bank.

ECB Insight: ECB’s de Guindos Highlights Economic Improvement

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos, assessing the economic recovery on Wednesday, struck perhaps the most positive tone heard to date from the ECB Executive Board.