Introductory remarks by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, at the ECON Committee of the European Parliament

Brussels, 28 April 2025

It is a pleasure to present the ECB’s Annual Report for 2024 to this esteemed Committee. Concurrently, we are also publishing our response to the European Parliament’s resolution on our previous Annual Report. These elements – our Annual Report, today’s discussion and our response to your resolution – are central to the ECB’s accountability to the European Parliament and highlight the open dialogue between our institutions.

In my remarks today, I will discuss the economic and financial stability landscape and consider the challenges that lie ahead. I will share the ECB’s assessment and underline the need to invest in measures to enhance Europe’s resilience amid a volatile external environment and an uncertain outlook.

Economic developments and monetary policy

As highlighted in the Annual Report, economic activity in the euro area…