Our leadership
To deliver on its mandate, the European Central Bank (ECB) takes a variety of often far-reaching decisions. These are made by different ECB bodies, each with clearly defined roles.
Decision-making bodies
Discover what each ECB body does and how it shapes our monetary policy or banking supervision activities, as well as a range of other tasks.
Executive Board
Our Executive Board manages the ECB’s day-to-day work and prepares decisions for our main decision-making body, the Governing Council. Executive Board members also sit on the Governing Council.
Learn more about the Executive BoardGoverning Council
The Governing Council is our highest decision-making body. It sets the level of our policy interest rates. It also decides which, and how, other monetary policy tools are to be used in the euro area.
Read more about the Governing CouncilGeneral Council
Our General Council brings together high-ranking officials from all the central banks in the European Union. It is responsible for specific tasks and will continue its role as long as there are EU countries that have not adopted the euro.
Learn more about the General CouncilSupervisory Board
The Supervisory Board plans and oversees our banking supervision tasks. It prepares draft supervisory decisions for adoption by our Governing Council.
Find out more about the Supervisory Board