Central Banks

ECB Unveils Policy Revamp, Locking In Floor System for Rates

  • Officials present results of operational framework review
  • Announcement doesn’t affect plans to lower interest rates

The ECB headquarters in Frankfurt.

Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg
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The European Central Bank presented a new framework for how it implements monetary policy, preserving the current system of steering interest rates while giving lenders more of a say over how much cash they need to operate.

The revamp of the plumbing that underpins the ECB’s key task of maintaining stable prices in the 20-nation euro zone will see banks decide how much liquidity they need from the Frankfurt-based institution on top of what’s provided through a new permanent portfolio of bonds.