Organisation

The European Central Bank

With the adoption of the Treaty of Lisbon, the ECB becomes an institution of the European Union (Article 13). The Treaty limits the ECB's activities to a clearly defined area: the central bank functions for the euro (Articles 127 to 133 and 282 to 283 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).

The ECB is located in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) in three buildings in the city centre. New headquarters will be built in the eastern part of the city in the next few years.

The number of staff of the ECB amounts to around 1,560 (in 2009) and it is truly European: its members come from all 27 countries of the European Union (EU). In the early days, the EMI and the ECB recruited many staff from the national central banks of the EU Member States, but nowadays the ECB also attracts staff members from other sectors.