The European Central Bank pledged to keep interest rates at record lows at least through the summer after policy makers met amid rising concern about the region’s growth outlook.

Two of the top contenders to become the next European Central Bank president said they don’t know if the institution will be able to raise interest rates this year.

For the first time in a decade, European Central Bank officials are looking at a slowing economy without plans to increase stimulus.

The European Central Bank’s pessimism over its economic outlook might not last long even if the euro area fails to pick up speed -- instead it’ll just revise the projections to reflect the heightened risks.

LONDON (Reuters) - Central banks may be about to face one of their biggest challenges yet: Global economic growth is slowing, but they have struggled to build up their policy arsenals since the last crisis to effectively deal with another one.

Angela Merkel told an audience of global business leaders how she yearned for a resumption of conventional monetary policy.