European Central Bank Governing Council member Mr Nout Wellink was quoted as saying today that the euro's rise against the dollar was not excessive and that interest rates moves were not appropriate means to affect currency swings.
In foreign exchange markets, "the forces at work are much stronger and can't be neutralized by a minor change in rates. This is not the instrument," Mr Wellink was quoted as saying in an interview with the Bloomberg news agency.
Mr Wellink, who is also head of the Dutch central bank, said the euro's rise against the dollar was high but not excessive.
"There is no need to take special measures" when finance ministers and central bankers from the G7 countries meet in Florida on February 6-7," Mr Wellink was quoted as saying.
"At this very moment, there is not an extraordinary situation that we should address."
But Central Bank Governor Mr Klaus Liebscher was quoted as saying today that currency market intervention is an option for central banks.
"Of course intervention is one of the possibilities that a central bank has at its disposition. But we cannot discuss how and when beforehand," Mr Liebscher told Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore in an interview.