Monetary analysis and monetary policy in the euro area 1999-2006

This paper assesses the practical experience of monetary analysis at the ECB from the introduction of the euro in 1999 through 2006. The paper exploits a unique and rich real-time data set, containing both the vintages of data and the economic models that have been employed in the ECB's monetary analysis during the first eight years of Monetary Union. It embodies both a description of how monetary analysis was conducted over this period and a quantitative evaluation of the indicators of risks to price stability that derived from this analysis. A close investigation of this material is used to evaluate the role monetary analysis has played in the evolution of monetary policy in the euro area.