(Updated with other statements)
PARIS, Feb 4 (Reuters) – The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) will not rule out any options ahead of its March monetary policy meeting and in the following quarters in the face of growing uncertainty surrounding the evolution of inflation, said François Villeroy de Galhau on Friday.
“Yesterday, in view of growing uncertainty about inflation, our watchword, as (European Central Bank President) Christine Lagarde said, is more than ever to have options,” said declared the Governor of the Banque de France, according to the English text of a speech written during an intervention at the University of Warwick.
The ECB President acknowledged on Thursday that inflation in the euro zone was higher than expected and that the risks were on the upside, while repeating that prices would slow down by the end of the year. .
“We take this very seriously: we want to fully retain our options on the decisions we will take from March and in the following quarters, in view of the latest data, forecasts and geopolitical developments”, underlined François Villeroy de Galhau.
“And in order to stick to our program – with first a ‘tapering’ (reduction of asset purchases-Editor’s note) then an acceleration – we will also keep all our options on the pace of this program and the timing of the transition from one stage to another. Therefore, while the trajectory is clear, one should not jump to conclusions about the timetable: it will remain gradual, dependent on the situation and open at each of its stages”. (Written by Marc Angrand and Claude Chendjou, edited by Blandine Hénault and Sophie Louet)
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