To ensure continuity and equal treatment, the ECB has examined the degree of sustainable economic convergence and compliance with the statutory requirements for the independence of the national central banks and their legal integration into the Eurosystem using the common analytical framework applied in previous ECB and EMI Convergence Reports.
I am particularly grateful that Mr Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada, will be our speaker today. Mark, my special welcome to you and thanks a lot for accepting our invitation. It is an honour to have you here. Let me say a few brief words about both this event and our speaker for today. 2.