ECB (Europese Centrale Bank)

The European Central Bank is the central bank of the euro area, the group of EU countries that use the euro, including the Netherlands. It is based in Frankfurt and sets the euro area's monetary policy, mainly by deciding on interest rates, with the main goal of keeping prices stable. Its president, who leads its Governing Council and represents the bank, is appointed by the European Council (the heads of state and government of the EU), and the Dutch central bank, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), is part of the ECB's network of national central banks.

Latest, 14 November 2026: Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Berlin has not yet chosen between Dutchman Klaas Knot and Spaniard Pablo Hernández de Cos for the top job at the European Central Bank, which sets interest rates for the euro area. Read the story