09/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - In the week ending 3 August, the net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency decreased by 0.4 billion euro, to 273.7 billion euro, due to customer and portfolio transactions, says the European Central Bank (ECB) in its weekly bulleting published on Tuesday. It adds that the decrease of 24 million euro in gold and gold receivables is due to the issue of commemorative gold DM 1 coins by one national central bank of the Eurosystem and the sale of 1 tonne of gold by another. The Bank notes stability in the holdings by the Eurosystem marketable securities of euro area residents denominated in euro (28.1 million euro). Banknotes in circulation increased by 3.3 billion euro, to 351.6 billion, and liabilities to general government decreased by 8.7 billion euro, t 48.6 billion euro. As for items related to monetary policy operations, the Eurosystem's net lending to credit institutions fell by 8 billion euro, to 221.2 billion.