ECB appoints Wolfgang Proissl as Director General Communications

PRESS RELEASE

7 October 2020

  • Wolfgang Proissl to start on 1 January 2021

The Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) has appointed Wolfgang Proissl to the position of Director General Communications (DG-C) as of 1 January 2021.

Mr Proissl, 54, is currently Head of Communication and Chief Spokesperson at the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), a position he has held since October 2012. He previously held positions at the Financial Times Deutschland as Chief Correspondent in Frankfurt, reporting on monetary policy and international finance, Bureau Chief in Brussels and Foreign Editor in Berlin. Prior to that, he was Paris economic correspondent for Die Zeit.

Mr Proissl holds a master’s degree in economics from Cologne University and a degree in economic and political journalism from the Cologne Journalism School. He participated in a one-year European post-graduate programme at the Centre de Formation des Journalistes (CFJ) in Paris. Furthermore, Mr Proissl took part in the World Fellows Programme at Yale University.

Mr Proissl will replace Christine Graeff, who left the ECB on 30 September 2020 to take up a position in the private sector. Until 31 December 2020, Thierry Bracke and Conny Lotze, Deputy Directors General Communications, will lead the Directorate General Communications.

For media queries, please contact Stefan Ruhkamp, tel.: +49 69 1344 5057.

Notes

  • The Directorate General Communications contributes to the establishment of long-term relationships and dialogue with the ECB’s key internal and external stakeholders. It enhances stakeholders’ engagement by linking the official views and decisions of the ECB/Eurosystem/ESCB with their areas of interest. It devises relevant communication strategies, messages and materials tailored to the needs of its various audience groups. It also manages all contact and activities involving those internal and external stakeholders (handling media relations, managing digital content and dialogue, responding to specific enquiries, organising visits and events, designing publications and educational material, and engaging with management and staff on key communication issues). The Directorate General furthermore has a dedicated Division providing language services.

Speaking engagements

Media contacts



ECB publishes summary of feedback on public consultation on compounded €STR rates

PRESS RELEASE

7 October 2020

  • Consultation received 44 replies
  • Respondents supportive of publication of compounded €STR rates by the ECB

The public consultation launched by the ECB on the possible publication of backward-looking compounded rates received a significant number of replies coming from a broad range of market participants across different countries. The replies were supportive of the main parameters and elements of the envisaged methodology, and contained some suggestions, which the ECB will consider when finalising the methodology.

For more details, please refer to the summary.

For media queries, please contact William Lelieveldt, tel.: +49 69 1344 7316.

Notes

Speaking engagements

Media contacts



Media advisory – Press briefing ahead of Foreign Affairs Council of 12 October 2020

Press briefing

9 October 2020 at 14:00

by an EEAS senior official

This briefing is “off the record”.

Please note that this press briefing will take place remotely.

In order to participate and ask questions, EU accredited journalists should register using this link. Those who already registered for previous press briefing on Foreign Affairs Council meeting earlier this year do not need to do it again.

Deadline for registration: 9 October 2020 at 13:00

Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants after the deadline.

For more details, see the meeting page.



EU-Ukraine Summit: Remarks by HR/VP Josep Borrell at the press c

Check against delivery!

President Zelenskyy, I am very glad to meet you in Brussels after my visit to Ukraine some weeks ago. In the name of the President of the Commission [Ursula Von der Leyen], which I have the honour to represent, I can only reiterate what President [of the European Council, Charles] Michel has said: We fully support the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine. We will not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and we call on the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. On that, President [of the European Council, Charles] Michel has been very clear, I do not need to repeat it.

Allow me to insist on how important our partnership is. And, as a proof of it, today the European Commission and Ukraine have signed three programs. One to increase Ukraine’s resilience to conflicts and hybrid threats, including disinformation. The second one, to further empower civil society and the third one, to support a green economic recovery. This is part of EU-Ukraine’s agenda. Reforms play a very important role in this agenda. Reforms are difficult, often a long and complex process. I know it very well.

I think it is the moment to recognise that President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy has demonstrated leadership in pushing ahead crucial reforms since the beginning of his presidency, particularly on the land reform, the banking sector, and taxation.

In fighting against corruption, you [President Zelenskyy] have also delivered some important achievements, for example, the [start of operation of the] High Anti-Corruption Court. Certainly, more needs to be done, but what you did since the start of your mandate is impressive.

We consider that an independent and effective justice system is crucial and we continue to expect the maximum from the Ukrainian authorities, because this is what the Ukrainian people are asking for.

We are very proud of our Association Agreement. It is the most ambitious and far-reaching agreement that the European Union has ever signed with a partner country.

The results speak for themselves. For instance, bilateral trade has increased by 65% in the last four years.

There are many possibilities still to be exploited in our Association Agreement. We have discussed such possibilities today, on digital economy, trade facilitation, green economy and energy sector reform.

As President [of the European Council, Charles] Michel already explained, we have mobilised over €15 billion in grants and loans [for Ukraine]. We will continue supporting you because your progress is our progress and your security will be our security.

The macro-financial assistance is part of this partnership. The mobilization of resources to address the coronavirus crisis is also part of this partnership. We share borders. We share history, culture, interests and values.

Ukraine’s people have sacrificed a great deal for a brighter, more prosperous future.

This future is part of the European future. Ukraine can count on the European Union.

Thank you.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-196172

Q&A 

Q. What did you mean when you said ‘the EU is not a cash machine’ in your article after your recent visit to Ukraine?

Well you should not take the words out of context. This is an expression that we use quite often, here in Brussels, to refer to financial transfers, but I immediately erased this sentence, these words, because they can be considered inadequate. I said that the help that the European Union has provided to Ukraine is not unconditional. We are not an NGO, we are not acting just [out of] charity. We are acting because it is in our own interest to help Ukraine develop and be a free, prosperous and secure country.

This is the purpose of our help. It is conditional to reforms. It is conditional to meeting some objectives that we share. Everything is conditional when the European Union is doing [financial] transfers; it is also conditional for the Member States. The recovery plan that we are implementing will also be conditional. Ukraine will have to fulfil objectives and commitments. This is what I wanted to say and I think that everybody agrees that this help is in our own interest and is part of a process of reform, which is the condition for this help.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-196173



Cyprus: Statement by the High Representative on the developments

The EU is deeply concerned about today’s announcements and developments related to Varosha.

These will cause greater tensions and may complicate efforts for the resumption of Cyprus settlement talks.

What is urgent now is to rebuild trust and not to create greater divisions. The EU will continue to support such efforts, as stressed by the Heads of State and Government in the European Council conclusions on 1-2 October.

The EU is in close contact with the United Nations and following closely the situation on the ground.

Full respect of relevant UN Security Council Resolutions remains essential.