2010/281/: Decision of the European Central Bank of 14 May 2010 establishing a securities markets programme (ECB/2010/5)

Under the terms of this Decision, Eurosystem central banks may purchase the following: (a) on the secondary market, eligible marketable debt instruments issued by the central governments or public entities of the Member States whose currency is the euro; and (b) on the primary and secondary markets, eligible marketable debt instruments issued by private entities incorporated in the euro area.

Marketable debt instruments shall be eligible for outright purchase under the programme if they are all of the following: (a) denominated in euro; and (b) either: (i) issued by central governments or public entities of the Member States whose currency is the euro; or (ii) issued by other entities incorporated in the euro area and meeting the asset eligibility criteria specified in Chapter 6 of Annex I to Guideline ECB/2000/7 of 31 August 2000 on monetary policy instruments and procedures of the Eurosystem .

The following shall be eligible counterparties for the programme: (a) counterparties eligible for Eurosystem monetary policy operations as defined in Section 2.1 of Annex I to Guideline ECB/2000/7; and (b) any other counterparties that are used by a Eurosystem central bank for the investment of its euro-denominated investment portfolios.

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its publication on the ECB’s website.