While NCBs may participate in international fora depending on their respective memberships (eg G7, G10, G20), the participation of the ECB in all relevant fora gives continuity and visibility to the external representation of the euro area. The roles the ECB plays in the international community differ depending on the Eurosystem tasks involved in international relations.
In particular, the ECB can play three different roles. First, the ECB is a primary and autonomous counterpart whenever the Eurosystem’s exclusive competencies - ie monetary policy and related central banking tasks - are involved in international relations.