Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 25 March 2011

Items not related to monetary policy operations

In the week ending 25 March 2011 the increase of EUR 4 million in gold and gold receivables (asset item 1) reflected the purchase of gold by one Eurosystem central bank (consistent with the Central Bank Gold Agreement that came into effect on 27 September 2009) and the trading of gold coin by another Eurosystem central bank.

The net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency (asset items 2 and 3 minus liability items 7, 8 and 9) increased by EUR 0.3 billion to EUR 187.2 billion, reflecting the intervention carried out on 18 March 2011, a swap transaction with the Bank of Japan, and customer and portfolio transactions.

The holdings by the Eurosystem of marketable securities other than those held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.2) increased by EUR 0.9 billion to EUR 333.3 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) decreased by EUR 1.7 billion to EUR 822.2 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) increased by EUR 5.9 billion to EUR 83 billion.

Items related to monetary policy operations

The Eurosystem’s net lending to credit institutions (asset item 5 minus liability items 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 and 4) decreased by EUR 6.2 billion to EUR 338.7 billion. On Wednesday, 23 March 2011, a main refinancing operation of EUR 100.5 billion matured and a new one of EUR 89.4 billion was settled. On the same date, fixed-term deposits in an amount of EUR 77.5 billion matured and new deposits were collected in an amount of EUR 77.5 billion, with a maturity of one week.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was EUR 3.4 billion (compared with EUR 0.1 billion in the previous week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 19.4 billion (compared with EUR 20.2 billion in the preceding week).

The holdings by the Eurosystem of securities held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.1) decreased by EUR 0.6 billion to EUR 137.3 billion. This decrease was the net result of settled purchases and maturities of securities under the Securities Markets Programme. Therefore, in the week ending 25 March 2011 the value of accumulated purchases under the Securities Markets Programme and that of the portfolio held under the covered bond purchase programme totalled EUR 76.7 billion and EUR 60.6 billion respectively. Both portfolios are accounted for on a held-to-maturity basis.

Current accounts of euro area credit institutions

As a result of all transactions, the current account position of credit institutions with the Eurosystem (liability item 2.1) decreased by EUR 16.1 billion to EUR 206.3 billion.