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ANNUAL REPORT 2008 - Polymer Bank Notes of the World

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substantial downward revisions in relation to <strong>the</strong>previous staff projections, mainly reflecting <strong>the</strong>large declines observed in commodity prices and<strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> weakening demand. Risks to pricestability at <strong>the</strong> policy-relevant medium-termhorizon were considered to be more balancedthan in <strong>the</strong> previous quarter.Turning to <strong>the</strong> monetary analysis, dataavailable towards <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>2008</strong> showed that<strong>the</strong> annual growth rates <strong>of</strong> broad money andcredit aggregates, while still remaining strong,continued to decline. The intensification <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> financial market turmoil observed sincemid-September had been seen as a potentialwatershed in <strong>the</strong> evolution <strong>of</strong> monetarydevelopments, with money and credit data forOctober indicating a significant impact on <strong>the</strong>behaviour <strong>of</strong> market participants. However, inNovember <strong>the</strong>re were some signs <strong>of</strong> a returnto <strong>the</strong> pattern <strong>of</strong> monetary developments seenprior to Lehman Bro<strong>the</strong>rs’ default. Overall, both<strong>the</strong> broad aggregate M3 and, in particular, <strong>the</strong>components <strong>of</strong> M3 most closely related to <strong>the</strong>ongoing financial tensions – such as holdings<strong>of</strong> money market funds – showed considerablemonth-to-month volatility in <strong>the</strong> final months<strong>of</strong> <strong>2008</strong>. Looking through this volatility,<strong>the</strong> underlying pace <strong>of</strong> broad money growthcontinued to gradually decline from <strong>the</strong> peak seenin 2007. However, <strong>the</strong> intensification <strong>of</strong> financialtensions observed as <strong>of</strong> September <strong>2008</strong> led tosignificant substitution among <strong>the</strong> components<strong>of</strong> M3. Monetary analysis also indicated <strong>the</strong>continued moderation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> growth rate <strong>of</strong>loans to <strong>the</strong> non-financial private sector. Priorto December this was largely on account <strong>of</strong>weakness in loans to households, especiallyfor house purchase, but by <strong>the</strong> turn <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> yeara clear decline was also observed in <strong>the</strong> growthrate <strong>of</strong> loans to non-financial corporations. Thesesubdued developments in loans seem mainly toreflect <strong>the</strong> slowdown in real economic activity,although <strong>the</strong> Eurosystem’s bank lending surveysuggests that supply factors may also haveplayed a role. The heightened level <strong>of</strong> stressin <strong>the</strong> financial system remained apparent in<strong>the</strong> monetary data towards <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> year.Overall, monetary trends supported <strong>the</strong> view thatinflationary pressures were weakening fur<strong>the</strong>r.These revisions to <strong>the</strong> outlook for economicactivity, and <strong>the</strong>refore also for inflation, warrantedsignificant monetary policy easing. On <strong>the</strong> basis<strong>of</strong> its regular economic and monetary analyses,<strong>the</strong> Governing Council decided to reduce <strong>the</strong>key ECB interest rates by a fur<strong>the</strong>r 50 basispoints at its meeting on 6 November, in line with<strong>the</strong> reduction in upside risks to price stabilityarising from <strong>the</strong> materialisation <strong>of</strong> downsiderisks to growth. At its meeting on 4 December<strong>the</strong> Governing Council <strong>the</strong>n decided to reduce<strong>the</strong> key ECB interest rates by a fur<strong>the</strong>r 75 basispoints. Evidence obtained since its last meetingshowed that inflationary pressures had weakenedfur<strong>the</strong>r and, looking ahead, inflation rates wereexpected to be in line with price stability over<strong>the</strong> policy-relevant horizon.ECBAnnual Report<strong>2008</strong>21

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