The European Central Bank offered further confirmation in September that interest rates are set to remain at their record low levels for the remainder of the year. It left interest rates unchanged at 1% for the fourth month in a row. Although interest’s rates are not expected to be increased before 2010 the European Central Bank has indicated however that it may raise interest rates if market tensions justified this. The ECB has an exit strategy in mind from the extraordinary support measures currently in place and will act if better growth fuels upward pressure on inflation.