Frankfurt, 22/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - The December report of the European Central Bank (ECB) states that the Governing Council is resolved to act swiftly to counteract any risk to price stability in the medium-term. While noting the (relative) drop in the price of oil and the strengthening of the euro's exchange rate, the ECB says that the return to a rate of inflation of 2% could take some time; yet, the Bank's goal is for inflation not to exceed 2%. The action it could undertake obviously concerns monetary policy. In addition, and especially, Member States must return to robust monetary policies so as to avoid public spending fuelling inflationary trends.