Exceptional times call for exceptional measures. The European Central Bank, like other central banks, has introduced non-standard measures to tackle the financial crisis and cushion its impact on the economy – what I call “enhanced credit support”. These have contained the threats to the stability of the euro area's financial system and supported the flow of credit to companies and households over and above what could be achieved through interest rate cuts alone.

Because of their exceptional nature, these measures will have to be unwound once economic and financial conditions normalise. We at the ECB designed the non-standard measures with our exit strategy in mind, and we are ready to implement this strategy when the appropriate time comes. Stressing the importance of the exit strategy should not be confused with its activation: it is premature to declare the financial crisis over. Today is not the time to exit.

Four issues will shape our approach to exiting the non-standard measures.