ECB left rates on hold at 1.0 percent at its first policy meeting of 2012
13 January 2012
The European Central Bank left rates on hold at 1.0 percent at its first policy meeting of 2012, pausing to assess the impact of back-to-back cuts and a slew of other measures it took late last year that are showing signs of helping fight the euro zone crisis. The ECB said its offering of 3-year euro loans is helping banks and supporting morale across the euro zone, but it still left the door open to further interest rates cuts. The ECB also said the bloc's economy was showing some signs of stabilisation in activity deep down, although it faced risks.