ECB Executive Board member Fabio Panetta delivered a speech today, emphasizing the importance of “persistence” over “level” in executing the bank’s monetary policy given the present economic context.
Panetta stated, “In the current context where policy rates are around the level necessary to deliver medium-term price stability, I will argue that monetary policy may operate not just by increasing rates but also by keeping the prevailing level of policy rates for longer. In other words, persistence matters as much as level.”
The ECB official highlighted two primary approaches to the bank’s disinflationary monetary policy: the ‘level’ approach, which involves raising the policy rate beyond its current position, risking a potential need for faster and earlier cuts, and the ‘persistence’ approach, which advocates for maintaining the policy rates at their prevailing level for an extended duration.
“Emphasizing persistence may be particularly valuable in the current situation,” said Panetta, “where the policy rate is around the level necessary to deliver medium-term price stability, the risk of a de-anchoring of inflation expectations is low, inflation risks are balanced, and economic activity is weak.”
He warned against the pitfalls of an aggressive rate hike strategy, stating that it “might amplify the risk associated with overtightening, which could subsequently require rates to be cut hastily in a deteriorating economic environment.”
By contrast, Panetta argued, the ‘persistence’ element allows for greater flexibility, granting the central bank more time to assess the effects of its past policies and fine-tune its stance as new information emerges.
He added that by underlining the importance of this ‘breathing space’, stating, “This is crucial given that – as I said before – the transmission of our monetary policy may actually turn out to be stronger than our projections indicate.”
Full speech of ECB Panetta here.
ECB hikes 50bps, expects to raise rates further
ECB raises the three key interest rates by 50bps today as expected. The main refinancing, marginal lending, and deposit rates are 2.50%, 2.75% and 2.00% respectively. The Governing Council expects to “raise them further” based on “substantial upward revision to the inflation outlook”.
Also ECB noted that “keeping interest rates at restrictive levels will over time reduce inflation by dampening demand and will also guard against the risk of a persistent upward shift in inflation expectations.” Future policy decisions will continue to be “data-dependent”, following a “meeting-by-meeting approach”.
Reinvestment under the APP purchases will continue until the end of February 2023. The portfolio will then decline at a “measured and predictable pace” subsequently, amount to EUR 15B per month on average until Q2 2023. Reinvestment under PEPP will continue at least until the end of 2024.
Based on new economic projections, inflation is expected to reach 8.4% in 2022, then fall to 6.3% in 2023, and then 3.4% in 2024, and 2.3% in 2025. Core inflation, excluding energy and food, is projected to be at 3.9% in 2022, 4.2% in 2023, 2.8% in 2024, and then 2.4% in 2025. The economy is projected to grow 3.4% in 2022, 0.5% in 2023, 1.9% in 2024, and then 1.8% in 2025.
Full statement here.