The European Central Bank’s internal staff calculations on the future path of monetary policy assume asset purchases totaling 30 billion euros ($37 billion) in the fourth quarter, according to euro-area officials familiar with the matter.
The assumptions are technical and don’t constitute a pre-commitment on bond buying past September, when the current program is scheduled to end, the people said. At the same time, there’s broad agreement among Governing Council members that quantitative easing should probably come to a halt by the end of 2018, said the people, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private.