Apart from the financial agenda, among the specific objectives of the current Presidency – on a number of which good progress has already been made – are:  BIS central bankers’ speeches  5  •  Support to President Van Rompuy in getting agreement on the budget for 2014–2020 and finalising negotiations with the European Parliament.
All countries have to restore a climate of confidence that will be conducive to investment, and this includes large economies such as Germany, France and Italy. According to the latest figures, the inflation rate in the euro area has dropped as low as 0.7%, the lowest level in years. How serious is the problem of deflation for the ECB?