One of the key elements of monetary union as provided for in the Maastricht Treaty is, without doubt, the independence of the European Central Bank and of the participating national central banks: in other words, the independence of the Eurosystem.
Similar forums in Chicago, Atlanta, and Denver – conducted by the Federal Reserve in cooperation with the Opportunity Finance Network, a national trade association for community development financial institutions (CDFIs) – highlighted examples of banks working closely with community development loan funds and other CDFIs to streamline client referral processes to match small businesses with appropriate lenders.