Brussels, 04/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - The first meeting of the ECB Governing Council in 2005 covers decisions on the steering rates applied to banking operations in the euro zone, and will be held on 13 January. In addition to its monthly meetings for deciding on rates, the Governing Council generally meets a second time each month (except in January). Decisions on rates are announced at a press conference by the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Jean-Claude Trichet, and are normally held in Frankfurt, where the ECB is officially located.
In 2005, these meetings on interest rates will be held on: 13 January, 3 February, 3 March, 7 April, 4 May (Berlin), 2 June, 7 July, no decision in August on rates, 1 September, 6 October (Athens), 3 November and 1 December.
(The full timetable of meetings of the various ECB bodies is available at the following address: http: //http://www.ecb.int/events/calendar/mgcgc/html/index.en.html ).