歐洲央行準備啓動1萬億歐元注資計劃

Mario Draghi has secured unanimous support from the European Central Bank’s governing council to inject 1tn to rescue the eurozone economy from stagnation, seeking to dispel concerns of divisions within the bank.

在注資1萬億歐元以使歐元區經濟免於陷入停滯一事上，歐洲央行(ECB)行長馬里奧•德拉吉(Mario Draghi)獲得該行管理委員會(governing council)的一致支持。德拉吉目前正努力驅散人們對該行內部發生分歧的擔憂。

All 23 policy makers backed the ECB president’s idea to bring back the bank’s balance sheet to levels last seen in 2012, a pledge that Mr Draghi first floated two months ago but subsequently softened.

兩個月前，德拉吉首次承諾說，將使歐洲央行資產負債表的規模回升到2012年出現過的水平。但他的態度後來有所軟化。如今，歐洲央行管理委員會的所有23名政策制定者一致支持德拉吉的這一承諾。

A harmonious council could pave the way for more aggressive action, including large-scale government bond-buying, should the threat of Japanese-style deflation continue.

假如歐元區繼續面臨日本式通縮的威脅，歐洲央行管理委員會的這種一致意見，將爲出臺包括大規模國債購買行動在內的更激進舉措鋪平道路。

The euro fell 0.6 per cent to a two-year low of $1.239 after the pledge from the ECB while European equity markets reacted positively. Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax 30 rose 1 per cent and the FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 0.6 per cent.

在歐洲央行作出這一承諾之後，歐元匯率下跌0.6%，跌至1歐元兌1.239美元的兩年低點。與此同時，歐洲股市對該消息反應積極。法蘭克福Xetra Dax 30指數上漲1%，富時Eurofirst 300指數(FTSE Eurofirst 300)上漲0.6%。

Mr Draghi insisted the council remained unanimous in its commitment to use further unconventional tools, including quantitative easing, as he said that its main refinancing rate would remain at its low of 0.05 per cent. He also revealed that ECB staff had stepped up their work on additional ways to expand the central bank’s balance sheet, beyond purchases of covered bonds and asset-backed securities.

德拉吉堅稱，在關於動用包括量化寬鬆在內的更多非常規政策工具的承諾上，歐洲央行管理委員會依然意見一致。他還表示，該行主要再融資利率將保持在0.05%的低點。此外，德拉吉還披露，除了收購有擔保債券和資產支持證券(ABS)以外，歐洲央行工作人員正加緊努力採取其他措施，來擴大該行的資產負債表。

Mr Draghi said in September that private-sector asset purchases and a scheme of cheap four-year loans to eurozone lenders would increase the size of the ECB’s balance sheet from about 2tn to the peak reached in March 2012 of 3tn.

今年9月，德拉吉曾表示，對私營部門資產的收購，以及向歐元區銀行發放4年期廉價貸款的計劃，將把歐洲央行資產負債表規模從約2萬億歐元擴大到2012年3月達到的3萬億歐元的峯值。

He appeared to backtrack on this claim last month, before strengthening the message yesterday that the balance sheet would keep expanding “under all universes”.

上月，他似乎弱化了這一承諾。但他昨日強調說，“在任何情況下”，歐洲央行的資產負債表都將繼續擴大。