Brussels, 30/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - Wim Duisenberg, President of the European Central Bank, has told Bild am Sonntag that economic recovery in the euro area "is going more slowly than we had expected," but he added that "our analyses demonstrate that the economy will start up again next year". Growth in the euro area could resume "as early as the second half of 2003". (European Commissioner Pedro Solbes, reports El Pais, told the radio programme Catalunia Informacion that recovery would get under way in the EU in early 2003, and would grow stronger in the latter half of the year).
Mr Duisenberg also told Dutch television that he would remain in his post if no successor is found to replace him from 9 July 2003, the date on which he intends to take early retirement. In such circumstances, "I will not leave", even if my term of office is probably prolonged for a "very short period".
The first meeting of the ECB Governing Council for next year is scheduled for 9 January, followed by a press conference (press conferences will be held after the first meeting of every month). Two meetings a year are held in the euro-area Member States. The calendar of meetings of the Governing Council in 2003 is as follows: - 9 and 23 January; - 6 and 20 February; - 6 and 20 March; - 3 April (in Rome) and 24 April; - 8 and 22 May; - 5 and 26 June; 10 and 31 July; - 21 August; - 4 and 18 September; - 2 October (in Lisbon) and 23 October; - 6 and 20 November; - 4 and 18 December.