Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 25 February 2011

Items not related to monetary policy operations

In the week ending 25 February 2011 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 0.1 billion to EUR 181.7 billion on account of customer and portfolio transactions and US dollar liquidity-providing operations (see below).

The liquidity-providing transactions were conducted by the Eurosystem in connection with the temporary reciprocal currency arrangement (swap line) that the European Central Bank has with the Federal Reserve System.

The holdings by the Eurosystem of marketable securities other than those held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.2) increased by EUR 0.3 billion to EUR 331.6 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) rose by EUR 0.2 billion to EUR 819.6 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) increased by EUR 14.5 billion to EUR 97.9 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 3.8 billion to EUR 356.6 billion. On Wednesday, 23 February 2011, a main refinancing operation of EUR 137 billion matured and a new one of EUR 119.5 billion was settled. On the same day, fixed-term deposits in an amount of EUR 76.5 billion matured and new deposits were collected in an amount of EUR 77 billion, with a maturity of one week. On Thursday, 24 February 2011, a longer-term refinancing operation of EUR 38.2 billion matured and a new one of EUR 39.8 billion was settled.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was EUR 17.1 billion (compared with EUR 14.2 billion in the previous week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 24.7 billion (compared with EUR 34.5 billion in the preceding week).

The holdings by the Eurosystem of securities held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.1) increased by EUR 0.4 billion to EUR 138.2 billion. This increase was the net result of settled purchases under the Securities Markets Programme and the maturity of securities under the covered bond purchase programme. Therefore, in the week ending 25 February 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 77.5 billion and EUR 60.7 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 9.9 billion to EUR 212.3 billion.