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| European Central Bank cuts interest rates back to 1% | European Central Bank cuts interest rates back to 1% |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The European Central Bank has cut interest rates back to their historic low of 1%, as expected by markets. | The European Central Bank has cut interest rates back to their historic low of 1%, as expected by markets. |
| The quarter-point cut comes as crisis and recession threaten the eurozone. | The quarter-point cut comes as crisis and recession threaten the eurozone. |
| The decision comes just ahead of a "do-or-die" Brussels summit of EU heads to hammer out a plan to save the euro. | The decision comes just ahead of a "do-or-die" Brussels summit of EU heads to hammer out a plan to save the euro. |
| ECB President Mario Draghi called again for governments to cut their borrowing and reform their economies, but did not mention any new financial support from the ECB for struggling governments. | ECB President Mario Draghi called again for governments to cut their borrowing and reform their economies, but did not mention any new financial support from the ECB for struggling governments. |
| "We have a treaty that says no monetary financing to governments," he said in response to a question on the subject at a post-meeting news conference. | "We have a treaty that says no monetary financing to governments," he said in response to a question on the subject at a post-meeting news conference. |
| The euro, which had risen following the announcement of the interest rate cut, fell more than a cent against the dollar while Mr Draghi was speaking. | The euro, which had risen following the announcement of the interest rate cut, fell more than a cent against the dollar while Mr Draghi was speaking. |
| There has been speculation that the ECB may be preparing to bail out Italy if eurozone governments agree tough new limits on their borrowing and economic reforms. | There has been speculation that the ECB may be preparing to bail out Italy if eurozone governments agree tough new limits on their borrowing and economic reforms. |
| Mr Draghi said that as well as cutting their spending and/or raising taxes, governments had to make their labour markets more flexible and open up product markets to more competition in order to boost growth. He also praised the efforts of the new Italian government. | Mr Draghi said that as well as cutting their spending and/or raising taxes, governments had to make their labour markets more flexible and open up product markets to more competition in order to boost growth. He also praised the efforts of the new Italian government. |
| Recession | Recession |
| It is the second such rate cut since Mr Draghi took over the ECB presidency last month. | It is the second such rate cut since Mr Draghi took over the ECB presidency last month. |
| The rate cut, only days after he took over, reversed the central bank's policy direction. Under his predecessor, Jean-Claude Trichet, the ECB had begun raising rates over the summer to ward off higher inflation. | The rate cut, only days after he took over, reversed the central bank's policy direction. Under his predecessor, Jean-Claude Trichet, the ECB had begun raising rates over the summer to ward off higher inflation. |
| The second cut has returned rates to the 1% level that prevailed from the summer of 2009 to the end of 2010, in response to the global financial crisis and recession. | The second cut has returned rates to the 1% level that prevailed from the summer of 2009 to the end of 2010, in response to the global financial crisis and recession. |
| Mr Draghi confirmed that the decision was not made unanimously. Some German central bankers have expressed opposition to what they see as excessively loose monetary policy. | Mr Draghi confirmed that the decision was not made unanimously. Some German central bankers have expressed opposition to what they see as excessively loose monetary policy. |
| The central bank again cut its forecast for economic growth in the eurozone next year, to a range of 1% growth to a 0.4% contraction - raising the prospect of a recession. | The central bank again cut its forecast for economic growth in the eurozone next year, to a range of 1% growth to a 0.4% contraction - raising the prospect of a recession. |
| The lower forecast may herald further interest rate cuts. | The lower forecast may herald further interest rate cuts. |
| On inflation, Mr Draghi echoed the line taken by the Bank of England, saying that the rate - currently 3% - would remain above its 2% target for several months, but that the central bank was concerned about the medium-term outlook. | On inflation, Mr Draghi echoed the line taken by the Bank of England, saying that the rate - currently 3% - would remain above its 2% target for several months, but that the central bank was concerned about the medium-term outlook. |
| "What we are seeing from the ECB is pretty much 'more of the same'," said Graham Neilson, chief investment strategist at hedge fund Cairn Capital. | "What we are seeing from the ECB is pretty much 'more of the same'," said Graham Neilson, chief investment strategist at hedge fund Cairn Capital. |
| Crisis jargon buster Use the dropdown for easy-to-understand explanations of key financial terms: AAA-rating The best credit rating that can be given to a borrower's debts, indicating that the risk of borrowing defaulting is minuscule. Glossary in full | |
| "What we need to see is a dramatic and meaningful U-turn at the ECB," he adds, saying that without a commitment by the ECB to provide massive financial support to Italy and other struggling governments, the eurozone would break up. | "What we need to see is a dramatic and meaningful U-turn at the ECB," he adds, saying that without a commitment by the ECB to provide massive financial support to Italy and other struggling governments, the eurozone would break up. |
| "The central bank does not have a mandate to do what is necessary to get us off this path." | "The central bank does not have a mandate to do what is necessary to get us off this path." |
| However, Mr Draghi dismissed the prospect of a eurozone break-up as "quite far-fetched at this stage". | However, Mr Draghi dismissed the prospect of a eurozone break-up as "quite far-fetched at this stage". |
| Italy plan | Italy plan |
| The two-day EU summit ending on Friday is expected to agree tough new rules and automatic fines to ensure that eurozone governments cut their borrowing to below 3% of their GDP. | |
| It will also seek to boost the eurozone governments' own bailout capacity. | It will also seek to boost the eurozone governments' own bailout capacity. |
| Leaders still hope to find a way to double or triple the size of the eurozone governments' bailout fund - the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - from its current 440bn euros (£375bn; $590bn). | Leaders still hope to find a way to double or triple the size of the eurozone governments' bailout fund - the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - from its current 440bn euros (£375bn; $590bn). |
| However, in recent weeks, financial markets have signalled that they do not view the EFSF as a credible solution to the crisis, because Italy and its debts are seen as simply too big for other eurozone governments to rescue. | However, in recent weeks, financial markets have signalled that they do not view the EFSF as a credible solution to the crisis, because Italy and its debts are seen as simply too big for other eurozone governments to rescue. |
| Attention has instead turned to the ECB and its potentially unlimited ability to create the euros needed to rescue Italy. | Attention has instead turned to the ECB and its potentially unlimited ability to create the euros needed to rescue Italy. |
| Last week, Mr Draghi hinted at "robust action" in a speech to the European Parliament, but highlighted the need for governments to take the lead, saying that "sequencing matters". | Last week, Mr Draghi hinted at "robust action" in a speech to the European Parliament, but highlighted the need for governments to take the lead, saying that "sequencing matters". |
| This had been widely interpreted as a demand for an agreement on government borrowing limits in Brussels on Friday as a precondition for the ECB rescuing Italy. | This had been widely interpreted as a demand for an agreement on government borrowing limits in Brussels on Friday as a precondition for the ECB rescuing Italy. |
| But Mr Draghi expressed his surprise at this interpretation in his news conference, and put the onus back on the EFSF as the primary means for the eurozone to support crisis-struck governments. | |
| Italy's 10-year cost of borrowing had risen above the 7% level widely deemed to be unsustainably expensive, but fell back below 6% in recent days, in expectation of an ECB bailout. | |
| Following Mr Draghi's press conference, it rose back up again to 6.3%. | |
| The ECB is banned from lending directly to eurozone governments. | The ECB is banned from lending directly to eurozone governments. |
| But this has not stopped it from buying up existing Italian and Spanish debts in the financial markets. | But this has not stopped it from buying up existing Italian and Spanish debts in the financial markets. |
| Mr Draghi played down the prospect that the ECB would ramp up its purchases. | Mr Draghi played down the prospect that the ECB would ramp up its purchases. |
| Bank collapse | Bank collapse |
| The ECB also announced further measures to support the eurozone's banks. | The ECB also announced further measures to support the eurozone's banks. |
| Some banks have increasingly been relying on existing emergency loans from the ECB, as they find it harder to borrow money from markets. | Some banks have increasingly been relying on existing emergency loans from the ECB, as they find it harder to borrow money from markets. |
| Meanwhile, other, stronger, banks have been depositing more cash with the central bank - a sign that they do not trust lending the money to their peers. | Meanwhile, other, stronger, banks have been depositing more cash with the central bank - a sign that they do not trust lending the money to their peers. |
| Last week, the ECB joined with the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and three other major central banks in announcing an agreement that would ensure that their banks had access to foreign currency emergency loans. | Last week, the ECB joined with the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and three other major central banks in announcing an agreement that would ensure that their banks had access to foreign currency emergency loans. |
| The surprise move sparked speculation that one or more major European banks could be on the point of collapse, because of their inability to borrow in US dollars. | The surprise move sparked speculation that one or more major European banks could be on the point of collapse, because of their inability to borrow in US dollars. |
| Meanwhile, banks in Greece are facing an accelerating withdrawal of deposits by ordinary citizens worried that the country may soon exit the eurozone. | Meanwhile, banks in Greece are facing an accelerating withdrawal of deposits by ordinary citizens worried that the country may soon exit the eurozone. |
| Greece's central bank governor, Georgios Provolopoulos, told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine on Tuesday that the bank run was making it harder for the Greek banks to support the country's economy. | Greece's central bank governor, Georgios Provolopoulos, told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine on Tuesday that the bank run was making it harder for the Greek banks to support the country's economy. |
| The ECB has been providing the cash needed by Greek banks to pay out to their fleeing depositors. | The ECB has been providing the cash needed by Greek banks to pay out to their fleeing depositors. |
| But this has, in turn, put strains on the system of eurozone central banks and has increased the ECB's exposure to potential losses if Greece does ultimately stop paying its debts or leave the eurozone. | But this has, in turn, put strains on the system of eurozone central banks and has increased the ECB's exposure to potential losses if Greece does ultimately stop paying its debts or leave the eurozone. |