Latin American Media tour the Heart of the Eurozone

For two days in June 2009 Portuguese and Spanish voices from the New World could be heard in the corridors of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt. Business and financial journalists from across Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Costa ruca, Venezuela, Mexico, Nicaragua, to name but a few) were invited by the European Journalism Centre and European Commission’s Directorate-General Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN). 

The EJC group spent two intense days being briefed by ECB high-ranking officials on the financial architecture of the European Union and on the global role of the euro. 

The invited reporters had the chance to meet specialised reporters from Europe and from Asia. All were there with the aim of attending, live, the press news conference in which ECB’s President, Jean-Claude Trichet, announced new measures and concerted action to tackle the economic and financial crisis in Europe. 

Two extended meetings with President Trichet and a member of the Executive Board, Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, were the highlights of the visit. Both hosts spoke frankly with the visitors, whose curiosity translated into multiple, technical, questions, probing Europe’s response to the crisis. 

Most were surprised to discover that all EU Member States are part of Economic and Monetary Union, which means they coordinate their economic policies for the benefit of the Union as whole. However, not all of them are in the euro area – only those having adopted the European single currency are indeed members. 

At several policy briefings, the invited journalists were given extensive information about the framework ruling the economies and public finances of EU Member States.

Posted on June 25, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Filed under events.