Mr Duisenberg’s opening statement at the press conference held on 7 January 1999 Introductory statement by the President of the European Central Bank, Dr W F Duisenberg, at the press conference in Frankfurt on 7/1/99 (with transcript of questions and answers) Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice-President and I are here today to report on the outcome of the first meeting of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank in Stage Three of Economic and Monetary Union.
For the first time, the Governing Council took decisions of an operational nature in the context of the single monetary policy. On 1 January 1999 the euro was successfully launched.