The ECB disappointed some investors by leaving interest rates unchanged at 1.5 percent, on a split decision, despite signs of a sharp slowdown in the European economy. But it compensated with a raft of measures to boost liquidity.
ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet announced after chairing his final monetary policy meeting before retiring that the ECB will provide unlimited one-year funding in two operations and revive its policy of buying covered bonds for up to 40 billion euros.