European Central Bank

By Yiannis Papadoyiannis & Sotiris Nikas

The state has absorbed liquidity of 11 billion euros through the issue of treasury bills, and there is concern in the market that this amount may well grow further in the coming months so that the state can safeguard its cash reserves.

European Central Bank officials are considering ways to ensure weak countries that stand to gain most from a fresh round of money printing bear more of the risk and cost.

The European Central Bank's recent monetary policy actions have reduced risks in the euro zone's banking system but strong vigilance is still needed, Greek central bank governor Yannis Stournaras said on Sunday.

The European Central bank has warned against proposed amendments to the Deposit Insurance Act, saying they could constitute an infringement on the national bank's independence.

In a statement the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), Bulgaria's central regulator, cites the letter from ECB signed by the European institution's head Mario Draghi.

Loans to the private sector in the euro area, a gauge of economic health, fell year-on-year in October, but by slightly less than in September, the European Central Bank said on Thursday.

Cypriot lender Bank of Cyprus posted a profit of 76 million euros ($95 million) in the first nine months of the year, helped by the disposal of assets in Ukraine, Romania and Serbia.

It also said its shares would resume trading in mid December after an 18-month suspension.

Banca Transilvania, the third-largest bank in Romania, is under discussions to take over the Romanian subsidiary of the Austrian banking group Volksbanken, Volksbank Romania SA, two sources close to the discussions have told Bloomberg.

Eurozone bond yields held at record lows on Tuesday with financial markets lulled by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's vow to lift inflation from near-zero level by whatever means necessary.

An international conference titled "Banking stability" organized by the Bank of the Year Association will take place on December 3 at the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia.

The issue of banking stability is particularly topical in Bulgaria today but it is also important for the other EU Member States, according to the organizers of the event.

By Yiannis Papadoyiannis

Greek banks will be able to draw additional liquidity from the European Central Bank after Frankfurt issued a guideline on Friday that revises the “haircut” applying to securities issued or fully guaranteed by the Greek state.