Bulgarian National Bank and National Bank of Romania Governors attend meeting of the General Council

Mr Iskrov (Bulgarian National Bank) and Mr Isărescu (National Bank of Romania), the Governors of the two acceding country central banks (ACCBs), have today, for the first time, participated as observers at a meeting of the General Council of the ECB.

In March 2005, similar to the approach applied to the ten acceding country central banks in 2003, with a view to enhancing cooperation with the ACCBs in preparation for enlargement of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB), the ECB’s decision-making bodies had decided to invite the Governors and experts of the ACCBs to attend, as from the date of signature of the Accession Treaty, the meetings of the General Council and the ESCB Committees respectively.

Today’s meeting of the General Council was the first to be held following the signing of the Accession Treaty in Luxembourg on 25 April 2005.