Brussels, 22/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - Having returned to its normal level in the second quarter of this year, bond issuance in euro fell to 308 billion in the third quarter following the 11 September attacks in the United States, says the European Commission on the occasion of the publication, on Monday, of its report on bonds labled in euro. The Commission states that there is no cause for alarm as this level is close to what it reached in the same period last year (310 billion euro in the third quarter 2000), but recognises that there was a considerable decline compared to the 370 billion euro recorded in the second quarter of the year.
Governments remained the main issuers in euro, whereas it is private issuers (companies and financial services) that were most affected by the consequences of the attacks. Issuance in euro came almost exclusively from within the euro area and the share of the euro in international issuance declined to 32%.