Simon Mee
Counsel to the Executive Board
- Current Position
-
Economist
- Fields of interest
-
Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics,International Economics
- Education
- 2012-17
DPhil in Economic and Social History, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- 2010-11
MPhil in Modern European History, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- 2005-09
BA (Hons.) in Economics and History, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Professional experience
- 2019-2022
Graduate Programme Participant - European Central Bank
- 2018-2019
Communications Specialist - Global Media Relations Division, Directorate General Communications, European Central Bank
- 2017-2018
Trainee - Global Media Relations Division, Directorate General Communications, European Central Bank
- 2011-12
Financial Journalist - Treasury Today Magazine
- 2011-11
Nico Colchester Fellow - Financial Times
- Awards
- 2009
Gold Medal in Economics and History, Trinity College Dublin
- 13 October 2022
- THE ECB BLOGRelated
- 24 August 2022
- THE ECB BLOG
- 12 January 2022
- ECONOMIC BULLETIN - ARTICLEEconomic Bulletin Issue 8, 2021Details
- Abstract
- How central banks communicate matters. Communication has become a key instrument to make policy more effective and improve central banks’ transparency and accountability, ultimately helping to build trust among the wider public whom they serve. As part of its recent strategy review, the ECB analysed how its communication, in particular with the wider public, can be improved. This article further complements the findings of the strategy review. The article aims to provide a better understanding of the ECB’s audiences among the wider public, what matters to them, and what happens between the sending and the receiving end of ECB communication. The findings point to possible avenues to make the ECB’s monetary policy communication more effective.
- JEL Code
- E52 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit→Monetary Policy
E58 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit→Central Banks and Their Policies
- 21 September 2021
- OCCASIONAL PAPER SERIES - No. 274Details
- Abstract
- This paper examines the importance of central bank communication in ensuring the effectiveness of monetary policy and in underpinning the credibility, accountability and legitimacy of independent central banks. It documents how communication has become a monetary policy tool in itself; one example of this being forward guidance, given its impact on inflation expectations, economic behaviour and inflation. The paper explains why and how consistent, clear and effective communication to expert and non-expert audiences is essential in an environment of an ever-increasing need by central banks to reach these audiences. Central banks must also meet the demand for more understandable information about policies and tools, while at the same time overcoming the challenge posed by the wider public’s rational inattention. Since the European Central Bank was established, the communications landscape has changed dramatically and continues to evolve. This paper outlines how better communication, including greater engagement with the wider public, could help boost people’s understanding of and trust in the Eurosystem.
- JEL Code
- E43 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Money and Interest Rates→Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
E52 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit→Monetary Policy
E58 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit→Central Banks and Their Policies
- 30 July 2020
- ECONOMIC BULLETIN - BOXEconomic Bulletin Issue 5, 2020Details
- Abstract
- This box examines the impact of the ECB’s monetary policy measures taken in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, focusing on asset purchases and the targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTRO III). It outlines how the ECB’s response centred on addressing three key issues: (i) market stabilisation, (ii) providing central bank liquidity to maintain credit provision to the real economy, and (iii) ensuring that the overall monetary policy stance is sufficiently accommodative. The box sets out in detail how the ECB’s measures have indeed proved an effective and efficient response to the COVID-19 crisis, in turn providing crucial support to the real economy and to price stability across two dimensions, namely underpinning the medium-term growth and inflation outlook and removing tail risks around the baseline outlook. These measures are a proportionate response under current conditions given that the ECB’s price stability objective would have been subject to further downside risks in the absence of such measures.
- JEL Code
- E50 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit→General
E52 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit→Monetary Policy
E58 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit→Central Banks and Their Policies
- 2019
- Cambridge University PressCentral Bank Independence and the Legacy of the German Past