Residents – with the exception of monetary financial institutions (MFIs), investment stock corporations, investment companies for their special funds and individuals – are required to report their claims and liabilities vis-à-vis non-residents on a monthly basis if the sum of the claims or the sum of the liabilities amounts to more than €5 million or the equivalent value in another currency at the end of a given calendar month.

The ECB requires credit institutions to hold compulsory deposits on accounts with the national central banks: these are called “minimum” or “required” reserves. The amount of required reserves that each credit institution has to hold is determined by its reserve base multiplied by a minimum reserve ratio.