Euro interest rates decision

The European Central Bank is meeting today to decide whether to follow the United States and Japan in cutting interest rates to boost economic growth.

The meeting takes place amid concern that the downturn in the American economy is having a greater than expected effect on Europe, and in recent comments senior figures at the bank have hinted at a possible cut.

But others have argued for a policy of steady interest rates, making the decision finely balanced.

The bank has kept the interest rate for the twelve countries of the euro zone unchanged at four-point-seventy-five since October last year.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service