Decisions taken by the Governing Council of the ECB (in addition to decisions setting interest rates)

• The conclusion of the strategy review will accordingly be postponed from the end of 2020 to mid-2021.
• A related press release is available on the ECBs website.
• Further information on this matter can be found in a dedicated section of the ECBs Annual Report 2019, which will be published on the ECBs website on 7 May 2020.

External communication

ECB’s Annual Report 2019 On 17 April 2020 the Governing Council adopted the ECB’s Annual Report 2019, which will be presented to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament and made available on the ECB’s website in 22 official languages of the European Union on 7 May 2020.

Market operations

• Decisions amending Decision (EU) 2019/1311 on a third series of targeted longer-term refinancing operations On 16 March 2020 the Governing Council adopted Decision (EU) 2020/407 amending Decision (EU) 2019/1311 on a third series of targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTRO III) (ECB/2020/13).
• On 30 April 2020 the Governing Council adopted a second Decision, Decision ECB/2020/25 amending Decision (EU) 2019/1311 on a third series of targeted longer-term refinancing operations.
• The Governing Council furthermore approved the publication of the indicative calendar for the third series of targeted longer-term refinancing operations, which will also be available shortly on the ECBs website.
• Increased frequency of the seven-day US dollar operations On 20 March 2020 the Governing Council approved the conduct of US dollar liquidity providing operations with a maturity of seven days at a daily (instead of weekly) frequency, starting on 23 March 2020 and continuing for as long as appropriate to support the smooth functioning of US dollar funding markets.
• Ad hoc assessment of Estonian Treasury bills market On 30 March 2020 the Governing Council decided to add the non-regulated Estonian Treasury bills market to the list of accepted non-regulated markets for assets eligible as collateral for Eurosystem monetary policy operations.
• Temporary collateral easing measures as a response to the coronavirus pandemic On 7 April 2020 the Governing Council approved a comprehensive package aimed at temporarily easing collateral constraints in order to facilitate the availability of eligible collateral for Eurosystem counterparties participating in liquidity providing operations.
• Pandemic emergency longer-term refinancing operations On 30 April 2020 the Governing Council decided to conduct a new series of seven additional longer-term refinancing operations, called pandemic emergency longer-term refinancing operations (PELTROs).
• More detailed information on the modalities of and calendar for these operations can be found in a press release available on the ECBs website.

Market infrastructure and payments

• More detailed information is available in a related press release on the ECBs website.
• Creation of a temporary Debt Issuance Market Contact Group On 15 April 2020 the Governing Council approved the creation of a temporary market contact group, the Debt Issuance Market Contact Group (DIMCG), tasked to investigate issues around debt issuance and initial distribution and the harmonisation aspects thereof.
• the European Stability Mechanism and the European Investment Bank), investors, central banks, intermediaries and market infrastructures.
• The DIMCG Terms of Reference, which were also approved by the Governing Council, are available on the ECBs website.

Advice on legislation

• ECB Opinion on Hrvatska narodna banka On 18 March 2020 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2020/8 at the request of Hrvatska narodna banka.
• ECB Opinion on the provision of emergency liquidity assistance by Lietuvos bankas On 30 March 2020 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2020/11 at the request of Lietuvos bankas.
• ECB Opinion on reform of Sveriges Riksbank On 20 April 2020 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2020/13 at the request of the Swedish Ministry of Finance.

Corporate governance

• Recommendation to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of Latvijas Banka On 19 March 2020 the Governing Council adopted Recommendation ECB/2020/14 to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of Latvijas Banka.
• The Recommendation has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the ECBs website.
• Membership of the Audit Committee On 29 April 2020 the Governing Council appointed Mr Jens Weidmann, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, as a member of the Audit Committee for an initial term of three years, i.e.

Statistics

• It also introduces the possibility of submitting complaints electronically.
• The amending Guideline is available on the ECBs website.
• 2019 statistical data quality reports On 2 April 2020 the Governing Council approved the publication of the 2019 quality reports on euro area and national quarterly financial accounts and on euro area and national balance of payments and international investment position statistics.
• These reports, prepared in close cooperation with the Eurosystem/ESCB Statistics Committee, provide information on the quality of European statistics collected, compiled and disseminated by the ECB with the assistance of the euro area national central banks and are part of the ECB Statistics Quality Framework.
• The Regulation is available on the ECBs website.

Banknotes

• Decision on accreditation procedures and requirements for manufacturers of euro banknotes On 27 April 2020 the Governing Council adopted Decision ECB/2020/24 on accreditation procedures for manufacturers of euro secure items and euro items (recast).
• The recast is in the interests of legal certainty and clarity and repeals Decision ECB/2013/54, which has been substantially amended several times since its adoption in 2013.
• The Decision is available on the ECBs website.

Banking supervision

• The letter is available on the ECBs banking supervision website.
• The communication is available on the ECBs banking supervision website.
• A related press release was subsequently published on the ECBs banking supervision website.
• The Recommendation, together with a related press release, is available on the ECBs banking supervision website.
• The Regulation is available on the ECBs banking supervision website.