The head of the European Central Bank has promised that the eurozone’s monetary policymakers will make a decision on the third leg of quantitative easing in early December.
Mario Draghi confirmed in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais that the governing council would decide on December 8 whether to extend QE beyond March 2017, quashing any remaining doubts that the bank would wait until next year to make a decision on the programme.
Until then, the ECB has committed to buy around €80bn in bonds each month.
Mr Draghi also suggested that the bank’s policymakers could discuss buying fewer assets each month — known in central bank speak as tapering — but for a longer period of time.
“We can deliver the appropriate stance by different combinations of instruments, for instance the amount of monthly purchases or the length of time over which they take place,” the ECB president said.
“I won’t prejudge the debate on the various options.”