German institutions eased their standards for lending to enterprises somewhat in the third quarter of 2014; credit standards were tightened slightly for household loans for house purchase and remained unchanged for consumer loans.

The comprehensive assessment (CA) conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB) has determined that the balance sheets of the 25 participating German institutions are sound and that the banks’ capital position would be sufficient to withstand a severe economic shock. This positive result is due not least to the capital measures taken over the past few years, and it does not include measures taken this year.

The German economy in the international division of labour: a look at value-added flows

The financial accounts data for Germany announced in this press release are published for the first time pursuant to the provisions of the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 2010). This methodological framework replaced the previous ESA 1995 on 1 September 2014, and since then has constituted the binding basis for all relevant statistics in the European Union.

The 2014 autumn notification under the European budgetary surveillance procedure marked the first time in which Germany's general government debt was calculated on the basis of the European System of National and Regional Accounts (ESA 2010).

The September 2014 edition of the Monthly Report discusses general trends and changes in the ownership structure in the German equity market that occurred during the financial crisis and also contains an article on the reform of federal financial relationships. A further article analyses the performance of German credit institutions in 2013.

The consultation of the Deutsche Bundesbank's Executive Board pursuant to section 7 (3) of the Bundesbank Act regarding the nomination of Dr Johannes Beermann as a member of the Deutsche Bundesbank's Executive Board took place on Tuesday.

Germany's net external position stood at €1,204 billion at the end of 2013, and thus amounted to almost 43% of gross domestic product. The German net external asset position rose by €251 billion year-on-year. This increase primarily reflects Germany's current account surplus last year. Unlike in previous years, the increase occurred against the backdrop of declining gross amounts outstanding.

From today, the Deutsche Bundesbank will be issuing €10 banknotes of the second euro banknote series. Following the introduction of the €5 note last year, the €10 note is now the second denomination of the new “Europa” series to be brought into circulation in Germany.