The Governing Council

The Governing Council is the main decision-making body of the ECB. It consists of

• the six members of the Executive Board, plus
• the governors of the national central banks of the 17 euro area countries.

Responsibilities

• to adopt the guidelines and take the decisions necessary to ensure the performance of the tasks entrusted to the Eurosystem;
• to formulate monetary policy for the euro area. This includes decisions relating to monetary objectives, key interest rates, the supply of reserves in the Eurosystem, and the establishment of guidelines for the implementation of those decisions.

Meetings and decisions

The Governing Council usually meets twice a month at the Eurotower in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

At its first meeting each month, the Governing Council assesses economic and monetary developments and takes its monthly monetary policy decision. At its second meeting, the Council discusses mainly issues related to other tasks and responsibilities of the ECB and the Eurosystem.

While the minutes of the meetings are not published, the monetary policy decision is explained in detail at a press conference held shortly after the first meeting each month. The President, assisted by the Vice-President, chairs the press conference.

Members

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• 
  Mario Draghi Curriculum vitae
  President of the ECB
  

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• 
  Vítor Constâncio Curriculum vitae
  Vice-President of the ECB
  

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• 
  Jörg Asmussen Curriculum vitae
  Member of the Executive Board of the ECB
  

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• 
  Benoît Cœuré Curriculum vitae
  Member of the Executive Board of the ECB
  

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• 
  Yves Mersch Curriculum vitae
  Member of the Executive Board of the ECB
  

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• 
  Peter Praet Curriculum vitae
  Member of the Executive Board of the ECB
  

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• 
  Luc Coene
  Governor, Nationale Bank van België/Banque Nationale de Belgique
  

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• 
  Jens Weidmann
  President, Deutsche Bundesbank
  

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• 
  Patrick Honohan
  Governor, Central Bank of Ireland
  

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• 
  George A. Provopoulos
  Governor, Bank of Greece
  

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• 
  Luis María Linde
  Governor, Banco de España
  

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• 
  Ardo Hansson
  Governor, Eesti Pank
  

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• 
  Christian Noyer
  Governor, Banque de France
  

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• 
  Ignazio Visco
  Governor, Banca d'Italia
  

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• 
  Panicos Demetriades
  Governor, Central Bank of Cyprus
  

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• 
  Gaston Reinesch
  Governor, Banque centrale du Luxembourg
  

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• 
  Josef Bonnici
  Governor, Central Bank of Malta
  

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• 
  Klaas Knot
  President, De Nederlandsche Bank
  

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• 
  Ewald Nowotny
  Governor, Oesterreichische Nationalbank
  

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• 
  Carlos Costa
  Governor, Banco de Portugal
  

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• 
  Marko Kranjec
  Governor, Banka Slovenije
  

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• 
  Jozef Makúch
  Governor, Národná banka Slovenska
  

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• 
  Erkki Liikanen
  Governor, Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank
  

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