The Euro Area After COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic will leave the euro area economy quite weak. It will be essential that both fiscal and monetary policies remain mobilised to achieve a sustainable recovery. Having indirectly financed a large share of new public debts, the ECB will have to tread a fine line between its price stability mandate and the need to avoid disrupting debt markets. The solution for the ECB is to use its announced strategy review to provide more clarity, both to its objectives and to its procedures. This includes adopting average inflation targeting, a formal relationship with member governments and the issuance of its own debt instruments. This document was provided by the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies at the request of the committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) ahead of the Monetary Dialogue with the ECB President on 19 November 2020.