9  BIS Review 71/2000  Another important challenge is the financing of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) which do not have securities or other assets as collateral for needed funds. Because banks lend out money that they receive from depositors, rigorous credit requirements have to be maintained under all circumstances.
Euro area annual HICP inflation increased to 2.0% in June 2018, from 1.9% in May, reflecting mainly higher energy and food price inflation. On the basis of current futures prices for oil, annual rates of headline inflation are likely to hover around the current level for the remainder of the year.