It is also becoming clear, however, that the Asian crisis has lent new points of emphasis to the already important topic of capital adequacy; in other words, risk and capital. In that respect, this conference has come at a very opportune moment.
The outcome of the monetary analysis confirms the assessment of low inflationary pressure over the medium term, as money and credit growth continues to slow down. All in all, we expect price stability to be maintained over the medium term, thereby supporting the purchasing power of euro area households.