The ECB Podcast

How much do you know about Croatia’s economy? And what about the steps the country had to take to adopt the euro? Our host Katie Ranger and economist Martin Bijsterbosch explore these topics on The ECB Podcast. The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily of the European Central Bank. Published on 16 February 2023 and recorded on 7 February 2023. In this episode: 01:00 – Croatia’s economy What Croatia’s economy looks like, and what ties the country already had with the euro area before joining the single currency. 04:00 – The path to joining the euro Why Croatia only adopted the euro in 2023, convergence criteria and what the country needed to accomplish in order to join the euro area. 08:53 – Croatia's response to economic shocks How Croatia’s economy has been affected by the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 13:05 – Adopting the euro in a high-inflation environment How the euro changeover is going in a high-inflation environment and how Croatian authorities are monitoring and handling any deliberate increase of prices during the transition. 15:59 – What’s next for Croatia? The next steps on Croatia’s path towards full economic convergence with the euro area, and the main economic challenges facing the country. 18:59 – Our guest’s hot tip Additional material: The ECB Podcast: What does it take to change a currency?, 28 January 2023 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod230128_episode50.en.html Interview with Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, conducted by Marina Klepo on 19 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/inter/date/2022/html/ecb.in221231~16c85cd5a3.en.html Croatian euro coins https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/coins/html/hr.en.html Croatia changeover https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/changeover/croatia/html/index.en.html President Christine Lagarde's New Year's greeting and welcoming Croatia into the euro area https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDEVfk8oDBA European Central Bank https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more pod.link/ecbpodcast

Every year we look at the challenges banks face and determine what they need to do to cope with them. What did we find in our latest assessment? How are banks faring in these uncertain times? In this episode of The ECB Podcast, our host Katie Ranger explores these questions with Supervisory Board Chair Andrea Enria. The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank. Published on 8 February 2023 and recorded on 31 January 2023. In this episode: 00:30 – What are the results of our latest assessment of banks? How Europe’s banks are faring in these uncertain times and what aspects they still need to work on. 02:55 – Our first look at leveraged finance What leveraged finance is, why it’s important for banks and why our review looked at this topic for the first time. 05:24 – The uncertain economic situation What the current uncertain situation means for banks, and what the biggest future challenges are for them? 08:07 – The effect of higher interest rates on banks Why higher interest rates are a positive thing for banks and how they could benefit them in terms of their profitability. 10:18 – Andrea Enria’s last year as Chair of the Supervisory Board What is the Supervisory Board Chair most proud about achieving during his mandate and what legacy he would like to leave to his successor. 13:22 – Our guest’s hot tip Additional materials: Press release: ECB keeps capital requirements steady in 2023, as banks remain resilient, 8 February 2023 https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2023/html/ssm.pr230208~8971619db2.en.html Aggregate results of SREP 2022, 8 February 2023 https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/banking/srep/2023/html/ssm.srep202302_aggregateresults2023.en.html Speech by Andrea Enria, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, at the press conference on the results of the 2022 SREP cycle, 8 February 2023 https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/press/speeches/date/2023/html/ssm.sp230208~4ee762ce05.en.html The ECB Podcast: How healthy are Europe’s banks two years into the pandemic?, 12 February 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod220212_episode28.en.html The ECB Podcast: Making sure banks are run by the right people, 10 February 2021 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod211210_episode24.en.html The ECB Podcast: What lies on the horizon for Europe’s banks?, 16 November 2021 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod211116_episode23.en.html Banking Supervision website www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu European Central Bank website www.ecb.europa.eu You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more pod.link/ecbpodcast

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions. The statement also covers: - how the economy is performing - how we expect prices to develop - the risks to the economic outlook - the dynamics behind financial and monetary conditions Published and recorded during our press conference on 2 February 2023. Our monetary policy statement at a glance, 2 February 2023 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pressconf/visual-mps/2023/html/mopo_statement_explained_february.en.html Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement (with Q&A), 2 February 2023 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pressconf/2023/html/ecb.is230202~4313651089.en.html Monetary policy decisions, 2 February 2023 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2023/html/ecb.mp230202~08a972ac76.en.html Combined monetary policy decisions and statement, 2 February 2023 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pressconf/shared/pdf/ecb.ds230202~40a069a7b4.en.pdf European Central Bank https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more pod.link/ecbpodcast

Croatia adopted the euro on 1 January. What did people, businesses and national authorities do to ensure a smooth transition to the euro? Our host Katie Ranger looks at the currency changeover with expert Patricia Roa Tejero on The ECB Podcast. The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily of the European Central Bank. Published on 28 January 2023 and recorded on 20 January 2023. In this episode: 01:05 – Our guest’s personal experience of the euro changeover in Spain 02:50 – Banknotes and coins: from kuna to euro What goes into producing new euro banknotes, how the process differs for euro coins and how Croatia distributed them. 09:56 – Euro starter kits What’s inside a euro starter kit and why they’re useful for people and businesses. 11:10 – How to get used to a new currency How Croatia is dealing with the transition from kuna to euro, what dual pricing is, and where and how Croatians can exchange banknotes and coins. 16:38 – Our guest’s hot tip Additional material: Croatian euro coins https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/coins/html/hr.en.html Croatia changeover https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/changeover/croatia/html/index.en.html President Christine Lagarde's New Year's greeting and welcoming Croatia into the euro area https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDEVfk8oDBA European Central Bank https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more pod.link/ecbpodcast

How is inflation affecting people and firms? Why are we raising interest rates? How will it help bring inflation down? Our host Katie Ranger talks to press officer Eva Taylor on The ECB Podcast. The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily of the European Central Bank. Published on 20 December 2022 and recorded on 9 December 2022. In this episode: 01:03 – What is the impact of high inflation? How higher prices are affecting people and businesses in Europe, and who is hit the hardest by high inflation. 04:30 – What’s behind the high inflation we are seeing? What factors have been pushing prices up over the past few months and why the cost of food and energy is the main driver of inflation. 06:22 – How will raising interest rates help lower inflation? What central banks can do to control rising prices, why we are raising interest rates and what higher rates mean for people. 10:20 – What’s behind the idea of people’s inflation expectations? Why inflation expectations matter for us and how we can guide them. 13:32 Our guest’s hot tip Additional material: Our monetary policy statement at a glance, 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pressconf/visual-mps/2022/html/mopo_statement_explained_december.en.html Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement (with Q&A), 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pressconf/2022/html/ecb.is221215~197ac630ae.en.html Press release: monetary policy decisions, 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2022/html/ecb.mp221215~f3461d7b6e.en.html The ECB Podcast: President Lagarde presents the latest monetary policy decisions, 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod221215_episode48.en.html The ECB Podcast: What interest rate hikes mean for you, the economy and inflation, 23 July 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod220723_episode38.en.html Explainer: We have raised interest rates. What does that mean for you? https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/educational/explainers/tell-me-more/html/interest_rates.en.html European Central Bank https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more https://pod.link/ecbpodcast

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions. The statement also covers: - how the economy is performing - how we expect prices to develop - the risks to the economic outlook - the dynamics behind financial and monetary conditions Published and recorded during our press conference on 15 December 2022. Our monetary policy statement at a glance, 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pressconf/visual-mps/2022/html/mopo_statement_explained_december.en.html Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement (with Q&A), 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pressconf/2022/html/ecb.is221215~197ac630ae.en.html Monetary policy decisions, 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2022/html/ecb.mp221215~f3461d7b6e.en.html Combined monetary policy decisions and statement, 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pressconf/shared/pdf/ecb.ds221215~db4079c498.en.pdf Macroeconomic projections, 15 December 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/projections/html/index.en.html European Central Bank https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more pod.link/ecbpodcast

What will our banking supervisors focus on in the next three years? Are Europe’s banks fit to withstand the economic challenges? Our host Katie Ranger puts these questions to Supervisory Board Member Kerstin af Jochnick and supervisor Mario Quagliariello on The ECB Podcast. The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily of the European Central Bank. Published on 12 December 2022 and recorded on 2 December 2022. In this episode: 00:00 – The new challenges facing banks What challenges does the current economic and geopolitical environment pose for banks. 03:20 – Credit risk and how banks manage it What an increase in credit risks means for banks, and what tools supervisors use to check if banks are able to manage these risks. 10:34 – Adapting to today’s increasingly digital world What challenges and risks banks face when becoming more digital-based, and how they can manage these. 15:43 – Banks’ progress on climate-related risks What banks have done so far to incorporate climate-related and environmental risks into their operations, and the areas on which our supervisors will be focusing. 19:50 – Our guests’ hot tips Additional material: ECB Banking Supervision: SSM supervisory priorities for 2023-2025, 12 December 2022 https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/banking/priorities/html/ssm.supervisory_priorities202212~3a1e609cf8.en.html The Supervision Blog by Kerstin af Jochnick and Mario Quagliariello: Charting the course: our supervisory priorities, 12 December 2022 https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/press/blog/2022/html/ssm.blog221212~52bd154288.en.html The ECB Podcast: Greening the financial system: milestones in our climate change journey, 9 July 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod220709_episode36.en.html The ECB Podcast: Are banks walking the talk on climate?, 2 November 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod221102_episode44.en.html The ECB Podcast: How healthy are Europe’s banks two years into the pandemic?, 12 February 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod220212_episode28.en.html European Banking Supervision https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html European Central Bank https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more https://pod.link/ecbpodcast

Are cyberattacks a threat to financial stability? Why do hackers target financial institutions? Our host Katie Ranger delves into this topic with financial stability expert John Fell on The ECB Podcast. The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily of the European Central Bank. Published on 6 December 2022 and recorded on 28 November 2022. In this episode: 01:24 – Are cyberattacks a threat to financial stability? What cyberattacks mean for financial stability, and why the financial sector should worry about them. 06:30 – Why are we looking at cyber risk now? Why we covered the topic of cyber risk in our Financial Stability Review, and why cyberattacks have become a source of concern to financial institutions. 09:06 – What kind of cyberattacks did we look into? Who is behind cyberattacks, and which sectors and regions are the most at risk. 12:40 – Tracking cyberattacks and shielding against them Why it’s difficult to keep track of cyberattacks, and what can be done to make the financial system more resilient. 18:56 – Our guest’s hot tip Our guest, John Fell, shares a film recommendation with our listeners. Additional material: Financial Stability Review, November 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/financial-stability/fsr/html/ecb.fsr202211~6383d08c21.en.html Towards a framework for assessing systemic cyber risk, 15 November 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/financial-stability/fsr/special/html/ecb.fsrart202211_03~9a8452e67a.en.html The ECB Podcast: Financial stability amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, June 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod220601_episode34.en.html The ECB Podcast: Bicycles, bitcoin and zombie firms: financial stability in the wake of the third wave, June 2021 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod210616_episode17.en.html The ECB Podcast: A cyclist’s guide to financial stability amid a pandemic, November 2020 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod201125_episode12.en.html European Central Bank www.ecb.europa.eu You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more pod.link/ecbpodcast

How is financial stability faring in today's challenging environment? What risks do we see for financial markets and real estate? Our host Katie Ranger talks to financial stability experts Tamarah Shakir and John Fell on The ECB Podcast. The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank. Published on 24 November 2022 and recorded on 21 November 2022. In this episode: 01:14 – What is happening in financial markets? What risks lie ahead for financial markets, and what factors are responsible for the emerging vulnerabilities in this sector. 05:21 – Governments’ support measures and financial stability What impact country's support measures and rising debt levels might have on the financial system, and how targeted fiscal policies can help reduce financial stability risks. 09:46 – What’s going on in the housing market? Why house prices are rising more slowly and how higher interest rates are affecting people’s ability to pay their mortgages. 13:25 – Non-bank financial institutions and financial stability Why we are monitoring developments in the non-banks sector, and what risks they might pose for the financial system. 17:40 – Our guests’ hot tips Our financial experts John Fell and Tamarah Shakir share their book recommendations. Additional material: Financial Stability Review, November 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/financial-stability/fsr/html/ecb.fsr202211~6383d08c21.en.html The ECB Podcast: Financial stability amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, 1 June 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod220601_episode34.en.html The ECB Podcast: Bicycles, bitcoin and zombie firms: financial stability in the wake of the third wave, June 2021 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod210616_episode17.en.html The ECB Podcast: A cyclist’s guide to financial stability amid a pandemic, November 2020 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod201125_episode12.en.html European Central Bank www.ecb.europa.eu You can also listen to The ECB Podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, Stitcher, YouTube, Amazon Music and many more https://pod.link/ecbpodcast

We’ve looked at how banks are taking climate and environmental risks into account in their business. What did we find? Are banks meeting our supervisory expectations? Our host Katie Ranger discusses the results of our thematic review with Executive Board member and Supervisory Board Vice-Chair Frank Elderson on The ECB Podcast. The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank. Published on 2 November 2022 and recorded on 21 October 2022. In this episode: 01:10 – The results of our thematic review How banks are managing climate and environmental risks, and what happens if they don’t meet our supervisory expectations. 11:20 – Zooming in on bank strategies What steps banks have taken to understand how climate-related risks might impact their business model, and how they intend to adjust their strategy, such as through transition plans, plus areas that need more work. 18:06 – What is holding banks back from acting Why banks need to look at both short and longer term horizons when thinking about these risks. 20:18 – Zooming in on risk management How banks are taking climate-related risks into account when ensuring they have enough capital to cover their risks, and where more progress is needed. 23:50 – Why can’t banks just stop funding carbon-intensive activities? Why banks need transition plans to manage their risks as the world moves towards a greener economy, and our role here as supervisor. 26:46 The next steps for supervisors and banks How we will supervise banks to make sure they adequately manage climate-related risks and what we will do if they don’t, and what banks need to do to continue their path towards greening their business. 29:10 – Our guest’s hot tips Additional material: Walking the talk - Banks gearing up to manage risks from climate change and environmental degradation. Results of the 2022 thematic review on climate-related and environmental risks, 2 November 2022 https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/ecb/pub/pdf/ssm.thematicreviewcerreport112022~2eb322a79c.en.pdf?25fcb44be2443e30f9dd0ab68c0a7d84 Press release: ECB sets deadlines for banks to deal with climate risks, 2 November 2022 https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2022/html/ssm.pr221102~2f7070c567.en.html The ECB Blog by Frank Elderson: Banks need to be climate change proof, 2 November 2022 https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/press/blog/2022/html/ssm.blog221102~398faec8ca.en.html The ECB Podcast: Greening the financial system: milestones in our climate change journey, 9 July 2022 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod220709_episode36.en.html The ECB Podcast: Time to act now: results of the economy-wide climate stress test, 22 September 2021 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod210922_episode20.en.html The ECB Podcast: Tackling climate change as a central bank: Between motivation, obligation and limitation, 12 May 2021 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod210512_episode16.en.html The ECB Podcast: Climate change and the role of central banks, 3 March 2020 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod200303_episode5.en.html Climate change and banking supervision https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/about/climate/html/index.en.html Climate change and the ECB https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/climate/html/index.en.html UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15), 7 – 19 December 2022 https://www.unep.org/un-biodiversity-conference-cop-15 Smithsonian American Art Museum: Online Gallery for Alexander von Humboldt and the United States: Art, Nature, and Culture https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/humboldt/online European Central Bank www.ecb.europa.eu European Banking Supervision www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu