The European Central Bank adopts an opinion on the opening of an Intergovernmental Conference

The European Central Bank (ECB) has adopted an opinion at the request of the Council of the European Union on the opening of a conference of representatives of the governments of the EU Member States – an Intergovernmental Conference or IGC – to draw up a Reform Treaty amending the existing Treaties.

As regards the status, mandate, tasks and legal regime of the ECB, the Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks, the ECB understands that, in line with the IGC’s detailed mandate, the changes to be introduced by the IGC to the current Treaties, which will remain in force, will be limited to and will comprise all the innovations agreed at the 2004 IGC.

On that basis, the ECB welcomes the opening of the IGC and stands ready to contribute to it at any time during its work and to provide an opinion on the matters within the fields of competence of the ECB once a text has been drawn up.

The ECB opinion is currently available in English on the ECB’s website. It will shortly be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the ECB’s website in all the official Community languages.