
ECB's Panetta says no reason to fear banks' liquidity drain from digital euro
MILAN, June 18 (Reuters) - The digital euro will be designed in a way that poses no threat to the overall liquidity held by the banking system, top European Central Bank policymaker Fabio Panetta said, adding that the ECB could anyway counter any hit to liquidity.
Speaking to students at the annual Young Factor conference in Milan, Panetta said a digital euro was a necessity because the digitalisation of the economy risked marginalising the role of central bank money, leading to a riskier and more unstable economic environment.
Under the digital euro project, euro zone residents would be able to transfer part of the money in their bank accounts into digital euro accounts with the ECB.
To avoid depriving commercial banks of an excessive amount of deposits, the project envisages capping individual savers' digital euro holdings.
Panetta said such limits would be set in a "conservative" way, calculating what would be the impact on the aggregate level of liquidity of the maximum amount of cash each saver could shift into digital euros to make sure there is no impact on the economy.
"Anyway, be aware that even if the digital euro drained liquidity away from banks and turned bank deposits into central bank liabilities, the level of liquidity in the system is a decision of the European Central Bank. The ECB can offset any reduction in liquidity," Panetta said.
"It's like real liquidity. Like water in a tank. Whatever amount spills out, we can refill it. The digital euro is being built in a way that ... limits outflows from bank deposits. On top of that, the ECB could always offset any impact."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Wiltshire Council's care for vulnerable adults behind £5m overspend
"Inconsistencies" in the social care department has resulted in a council spending nearly £5m more than it planned last Council's final review of financial year 2024/5 recorded an £4.85m overspend, which is largely down to unforeseen demands of "adult services where people's needs are increasingly complex".Former Conservative leader, councillor Richard Clewer, said he had "become increasingly concerned" that officers in adult social care had "repeatedly" called this issue a "one-off". He also queried why the numbers were "jumping all over the place" and no one seemed able to explain why."Something's clearly gone very badly wrong inside adult social care," he added. At an extraordinary meeting on 24 June, cabinet members will be asked to approve the use of earmarked reserves which, if agreed, will ensure the legally required balanced budget for the 1% of the total revenue budget, the 2024/25 overspend is above what the authority is used "the underlying financial position of Wiltshire is hugely better than the vast majority of our surrounding councils," councillor Gavin Grant, cabinet member for finance, costs of placing vulnerable children in care has also contributed to the overspend, the council said. The authority's latest analysis found "inconsistencies" in its own data of how adult care costs are being managed. Councillor Grant said to address the overspend, the council "will take decisive action" and using reserves "is not a long-term effective solution, but they are in place for this very reason"."We are working closely with officers to look at how we best overcome the social care cost challenges while not putting our financial sustainability at risk. "This will include ensuring our contracts are as efficient as possible, meaning people get the quality of care and support they need but at less cost to the council," he council plans to establish a new financial scrutiny committee so other councillors can assess the books in public later this year.


Top Gear
an hour ago
- Top Gear
Buy Kia EV6 Price, PPC or HP
Buying What should I be paying? The base EV6 Air starts from £39,235 – conveniently dipping underneath the £40k threshold that'd otherwise cost you an extra £2k ish road tax over five years – but you'll have to make do with the smaller battery. Stepping up to the bigger battery brings you up to £45,585. After that you're climbing the trim ladder. The mid-spec GT-Line costs from £48,585, while upgrading to AWD inflates that to £52,085. Advertisement - Page continues below GT-Line S is the top-of-the-range model: the RWD one is £53,685 and the AWD one costs £58,185. Adding the heat pump here costs the best part of a grand – cheeky, but we'd recommend it because the long-term savings will be worth it. Grr. The GT is £59,985, plus a bit more for paint that isn't white. Yacht Matt Blue is lurvely, if you can stretch to £1,500 for it. Finance deals start at just over £600 per month for the 84kWh base model on a three-year deal with a 10,000-mile limit and a £5,000 deposit. Want the same terms on the top-spec GT-Line S with all-wheel drive and a heat pump? That'll be just over £850 each month. What do you get for the money? As standard, all EV6s get the cool stuff: big battery and 800v charging system, plus the 12.3in screens, LED headlights, vegan leather upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, aircon, parking sensors, reversing camera, lots of driver assistance systems, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and all the usual electronics. A smattering of USB-C ports, too. Advertisement - Page continues below EV6 Airs come on 19in alloys and get body-coloured door handles, plus a six-speaker audio system. Actually, all you can choose at this level is the paint, which is red as standard. Or there are three others for £675. GT-Line variants also get 19in wheels but add black suede seats with white bolsters, electric seats with a folding 'relaxation' option, rear privacy glass, fancier LEDs, a three-spoke steering wheel and wireless phone charging pad. GT-Line S adds 20in wheels, a panoramic sunroof, artificial suede seats, cooled front heats, heated outer rear seats, a Meridian 14-speaker stereo, an HUD, a digital key, 360-degree camera, a powered tailgate and the option of the heat pump (we're still bitter about that). Last up, GT models get that astronomical powertrain, 21s with unique alloys, artificial suede bucket seats, many neon garnishings and the GT-specific drive modes that also extend to launch control. Nought-to-queasy in just a couple of heartbeats. For the caravanists out there, they all tow up to 1,800kg. Range will suffer. Duh. What's the best spec? To be honest, you won't go wrong with the EV6 Air: it's more than quick enough and has the best potential range. You'll miss having ventilated seats, but only for a handful of days a year.


Auto Car
an hour ago
- Auto Car
Chinese car makers plant flag atop UK plug-in hybrid market
Close Chinese car makers have broken the stranglehold of Volkswagen, Ford and the premium brands on the booming UK plug-in hybrid market, taking the top two positions in May. The BYD Seal U took the top spot with 1576 sales, followed by the Jaecoo 7 with 1346 sales, according to figures from market analyst Jato Dynamics. The Volkswagen Tiguan was third, followed by the Ford Kuga and Range Rover Sport. The situation in the UK is being played out across Europe, where sales of Chinese PHEVs rose 421% to 30,400 in the first four months of the year, giving them an 8.3%