Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 26 June 2009

In the week ending 26 June 2009 the decrease of EUR 96 million in gold and gold receivables (asset item 1) reflected the sale of gold by one Eurosystem central bank (consistent with the Central Bank Gold Agreement that came into effect on 27 September 2004) and the sale of gold coin by two Eurosystem central banks.

The net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency (asset items 2 and 3 minus liability items 7, 8 and 9) decreased by EUR 0.3 billion to EUR 216.6 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 marketable securities of euro area residents denominated in euro (asset item 7) increased by EUR 0.6 billion to EUR 301.6 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) rose by EUR 1.3 billion to EUR 762.1 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) increased by EUR 3.1 billion to EUR 153.4 billion.

The Eurosystem’s net lending to credit institutions (asset item 5 minus liability items 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 and 4) increased by EUR 54.4 billion to EUR 660.6 billion. On Wednesday, 24 June 2009, a main refinancing operation of EUR 309.6 billion matured and a new one of EUR 167.9 billion was settled. On Thursday, 25 June 2009, a longer-term refinancing operation of EUR 28.8 billion, with a maturity of three months, matured and a new one of EUR 6.4 billion was settled. On the same day, a longer-term refinancing operation of EUR 442.2 billion, with a maturity of one year, was settled. As announced in the ECB’s press release on 7 May 2009, following a decision by the Governing Council, this operation was the first in a series of three operations with a maturity of one year. It was conducted using a fixed rate tender procedure with full allotment, in addition to the regular and supplementary longer-term refinancing operations, which will be unaffected.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was EUR 0.3 billion (compared with EUR 0.5 billion in the previous week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 236.2 billion (compared with EUR 12.7 billion in the preceding week).

As a result of all transactions, the current account position of credit institutions with the Eurosystem (liability item 2.1) increased by EUR 54.7 billion to EUR 268.2 billion.