# ECB Meeting Dates 2026: Rate Decisions & Times

> ECB meeting dates 2026: Governing Council rate decisions at 2:15 PM CET, press conference 2:45 PM CET. See the schedule and EUR trading impact.

**URL:** https://forexcalendar.app/ecb-meeting-dates-2026-rate-decisions/

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# ECB Meeting Dates 2026: Rate Decisions & Times

**Quick answer:** The European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council sets euro-area interest rates roughly **every six weeks**. Decisions are announced at **2:15 PM CET**, followed by the press conference at **2:45 PM CET**. The next decision is **June 11, 2026**.

ECB decisions are the top EUR event — they move EUR/USD, EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY and every other euro cross.

## 2026 ECB Rate-Decision Dates (Confirmed Forward Schedule)

| Meeting | Date | Decision (CET) | Press conf. (CET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | Mar 19, 2026 | 2:15 PM | 2:45 PM |
| April | Apr 30, 2026 | 2:15 PM | 2:45 PM |
| June | Jun 11, 2026 | 2:15 PM | 2:45 PM |
| July | Jul 23, 2026 | 2:15 PM | 2:45 PM |
| September | Sep 10, 2026 | 2:15 PM | 2:45 PM |
| October | Oct 29, 2026 | 2:15 PM | 2:45 PM |
| December | Dec 17, 2026 | 2:15 PM | 2:45 PM |

The September meeting is hosted at the Deutsche Bundesbank; all others are at the Eurotower in Frankfurt. The ECB also holds non-policy meetings — only the rate-decision dates above move the market.

## The Two-Step Reaction

Like the Fed, the ECB produces **two waves of volatility**:

1. **2:15 PM CET — the decision.** Rate change (or hold) plus the policy statement.
2. **2:45 PM CET — the press conference.** The President's tone and Q&A. This is frequently where the *bigger* move happens, especially if the language differs from the statement.

## How to Trade ECB Day

- Watch **EUR/USD** as the primary instrument; it's the most liquid euro pair.
- The 30-minute gap between decision and press conference can reverse the initial move — don't over-commit on the first spike.
- "Hawkish" (pro-higher-rates) commentary lifts EUR; "dovish" (pro-cuts) pressures it.

Convert CET to your local time carefully — and let the app handle the countdown so you're never off by an hour around daylight-saving changes.


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Dates and times shift with holidays and revisions — the **Forex Calendar Counter & Alarm** app always shows the confirmed release with a live countdown and a push alert 1 hour before. Filter by impact, see the heatmap, and review event history.

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