Monetary Policy in the Time of COVID-19, or How Uncertainty is Here to Stay

The COVID-19 crisis has compounded the uncertainty that has come to characterise the European economy. We explore how this uncertainty manifests itself in terms of ECB decision-making and the long-run challenges the ECB faces. Confidence in ECB actions will come from the contingency scenarios it considers and communicates on, and from the adoption of potential policies for a wide range of such scenarios. Greater clarity around the ECB’s inflation target and surrounding tolerance bands would also be beneficial. 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.