Expanding zero-interest minimum reserve requirements: aims, effects, and side-effects

De Grauwe and Ji (2023c) suggest expanding the minimum-reserve requirements for banks in the euro area – e.g., by a factor of 10, thereby increasing it to 1.65 trillion EUR – and stopping to remunerate them. Only reserves held in excess of the minimum-reserve requirement would be remunerated at the interest rate on the deposit facility (currently 4%). Accordingly, the “subsidies” to commercial banks by the Eurosystem through reserve remuneration would be reduced. In this seminar, the authors and a panel of outstanding experts from central banks, academia and the financial sector will discusses the aims, the transmission channels, the potential benefits and undesirable side effects of such a measure. Attendants will have the possibility to ask questions and contribute arguments.