Euro area inflation has been rising strongly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving rise to concerns that there could be second-round effects, with higher inflation leading to higher inflation expectations, which in turn lead to higher inflation. This could result in more persistent rises...

In 2022, the European Central Bank (ECB) introduced the Transmission ProtectionInstrument (TPI) to counter the risk of financial fragmentation following the normalisation ofmonetary policy. The ECB has specified conditions under which the TPI can be activated.This paper examines these conditions...

This paper examines whether household portfolio structures change in favour of riskier assets when interest rates fall. Using euro area financial accounts data from the financial crisis through the present day, it is shown that the current low interest rate environment has not, up to this point,...