Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 8 January 2010

Items not related to monetary policy operations

In the week ending 8 January 2010 gold and gold receivables (asset item 1) remained unchanged.

The net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency (asset items 2 and 3 minus liability items 7, 8 and 9) decreased by EUR 0.7 billion to EUR 162.1 billion on account of customer and portfolio transactions and US dollar liquidity-providing transactions.

The liquidity-providing transactions were conducted by the Eurosystem in connection with the temporary reciprocal currency arrangements (swap lines) that the European Central Bank has with the Swiss National Bank and the Federal Reserve System. The EUR/CHF foreign exchange swap had no effect on the net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency.

The holdings by the Eurosystem of securities other than those held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.2) increased by EUR 0.7 billion to EUR 300.5 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) decreased by EUR 10.1 billion to EUR 796.4 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) decreased by EUR 5.6 billion to EUR 114.9 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 90.9 billion to EUR 496.9 billion. On Wednesday, 6 January 2010, a main refinancing operation of EUR 78.6 billion matured and a new one of EUR 54 billion was settled.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was virtually nil (compared with EUR 1.3 billion in the previous week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 227.1 billion (compared with EUR 162.1 billion in the preceding week).

The holdings by the Eurosystem of securities held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.1) increased by EUR 0.3 billion to EUR 29.1 billion in the week ending 8 January 2010.

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 72.8 billion to EUR 160.7 billion.

Other issues

It should be noted that some items of the consolidated weekly financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 1 January 2010 (published on 6 January 2010) were updated, owing to the receipt of revised balance sheets from two Eurosystem central banks, although the changes were immaterial.