Mr President of the European Parliament, Mr Vice-President of the Commission, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, I am very pleased to be here to discuss with you the ECB’s activities and your draft resolution on the ECB’s Annual Report 2016. Today’s debate represents a good opportunity to take stock of progress made and discuss the way forward. A decade ago, the global financial crisis was starting. Today, while further efforts are needed to overcome its legacy, the euro area economy is expanding and employment is rising. Your draft resolution points out that monetary policy has played a key role in this ... (full story)