The European Central Bank said Thursday it will slow the pace of its emergency asset purchases, which were launched last year to support the economy amid the Covid-19 crisis, as policymakers worry higher inflation may last long. The Governing Council left its key interest rate, the main refinancing rate, unchanged at zero, the deposit rate at -0.50 percent and the marginal lending rate at 0.25 percent. The decision was in line with economists' expectations. The bank reiterated its forward guidance on interest rates that policymakers expect the key ECB interest rates to remain at their present or lower levels until inflation is seen reaching two percent well ahead of the end of its projection horizon and durably for the rest of the projection horizon. They should also judge that realized progress in underlying inflation is sufficiently advanced to be consistent with inflation stabilizing at two percent over the medium term, the bank added. "This may also imply a transitory period in which inflation is moderately above target," the ECB said in its statement. Net asset purchases under the pandemic emergency purchase programme, or PEPP, will continue with a total envelope of EUR 1,850 billion until at least the end of March 2022 and, in any case, until policymakers judge that the coronavirus crisis phase is over, the ECB said. "Based on a joint assessment of financing conditions and the inflation outlook, the Governing Council judges that favorable financing conditions can be maintained with a moderately lower pace of net asset purchases under the PEPP than in the previous two quarters," the bank added.
Policymakers are worried that inflation could remain at higher levels for a while before easing off.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.