COVID-19 has ravaged the banks less than feared. Growth in non-performing loans would weaken banks’ ability to extend credit. A number of methods have been suggested to reduce the number of non-performing loans.

The euro area economy contracted 15% in the first half of the year. Rapid and powerful economic policy measures have mitigated the damage caused by the pandemic, but there is still substantial uncertainty and recovery will take time.

The corona pandemic has seriously weakened the euro area economy and the outlook remains uncertain. Recovery will be affected by e.g. how successful the balance between the virus and the economy turns out to be, and how quickly confidence improves.

Monetary accommodation has opened up space for other economic policies in the euro area, which needs to be put to good use by pursuing economic reforms. Productivity and employment growth ultimately rest on our ability to reform.

The coronavirus pandemic will further weaken the short-term profitability of banks. Government and central bank policy measures are mitigating the rise of funding costs and are bolstering lending capacity.

There was a shift in the global economic cycle towards slower growth during the first half of 2018. The trade war and Brexit increase the risk of recession.

The aim of the two-tier system for remunerating excess liquidity holdings is to promote monetary policy transmission via banks to firms and households. The system is part of the ECB Governing Council’s broad package of monetary accommodation.

Global growth has slowed substantially during the course of the current year. One cause of this has been the trade war between the United States and China. Brexit, too, has added to the uncertainty surrounding the future course of the economy.