MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

European central bank will raise interest rates after ending assets' purchasing program

Monthly net purchases under the Asset Purchase Program, APP, will amount to €40 billion in April, €30 billion in May and €20 billion in June

The European Central Bank Governing Council said on Thursday that in the current conditions of high uncertainty it will maintain “gradualism and flexibility” as the guidelines for its monetary policy anticipating that the assets purchase program will be concluded by the third quarter.

It also anticipated that inflation has increased significantly and will remain high over the coming months, mainly because of the sharp rise in energy costs. “Inflation pressures have intensified across many sectors”.

Monthly net purchases under the Asset Purchase Program, APP, will amount to €40 billion in April, €30 billion in May and €20 billion in June. The calibration of net purchases for the third quarter will be data-dependent and reflect the Governing Council’s evolving assessment of the outlook.

The Governing Council also intends to continue reinvesting, in full, the principal payments from maturing securities purchased under the APP for an extended period of time past the date when it starts raising the key ECB interest rates and, in any case, for as long as necessary to maintain favorable liquidity conditions and an ample degree of monetary accommodation.

The interest rate on the main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.50% respectively.

Any adjustments to the key ECB interest rates will take place sometime after the end of the Governing Council’s net purchases under the APP and will be gradual. The path for the key ECB interest rates will continue to be determined by the Governing Council’s forward guidance and by its strategic commitment to stabilize inflation at 2% over the medium term.

The Governing Council intends to reinvest the principal payments from maturing securities purchased under the PEPP until at least the end of 2024. In any case, the future roll-off of the PEPP portfolio will be managed to avoid interference with the appropriate monetary policy stance.