The first book-length study of the importance of collateral frameworks in monetary policy, focusing on the Eurozone and euro crisis.This book is for academic monetary and financial economists, as a supplementary text in graduate courses and seminars, and for practitioners in banking and policy-making institutions. It is the first study of the importance of collateral frameworks in monetary policy, focusing on the euro, the euro crisis, and the European Central Bank.This book is for academic monetary and financial economists, as a supplementary text in graduate courses and seminars, and for practitioners in banking and policy-making institutions. It is the first study of the importance of collateral frameworks in monetary policy, focusing on the euro, the euro crisis, and the European Central Bank.Central bank collateral frameworks are an often overlooked feature of monetary policy that play a key role in the monetary and financial system. Readers will discover how central banks conduct and implement monetary policy beyond merely setting interest rates, and develop their understanding as to how collateral policies may affect financial markets, financial stability, and the real economy. This book studies the collateral framework in the euro area in detail, and levers this analysis to provide an account of the euro crisis from the perspective of collateral policy. Readers gain access to a wealth of institutional and economic data and information with a level of density and accessibility unavailable elsewhere. This book, the first of its kind, is a valuable read for academic monetary and financial economists, those working in banking and policy-making financial institutions, and anyone who wishes to learn more about the role of central banks in society.Preface; Acknowledgments; 1. Background and motivation; 2. Collateral frameworks: overview; 3. Monetary policy in the euro area; 4. Production and usage of collateral; 5. Haircuts; 6. Ratings and guarantees; 7. Market andlóú