<p>There isn't a single centralized dataset recording them all one file. This being said such data are being kept by separate monetary authorities.</p>
<p>QE definition by ECB is a bit different than the definition used by Fed. I assume since you are interested in Europe  you want to use ECB definition. Following, <a href="https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/educational/explainers/show-me/html/app_infographic.en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ECB's (2021)</a> QE is simply defined as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Asset purchases, also known as quantitative easing or QE</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hence, following ECB's definition you can find list of ECB's QE <a href="https://www.ecb.europa.eu/mopo/implement/app/html/index.en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>. The text file at the link contains dates and quantities of money used for the asset purchase. To my best knowledge ECB does not make distinction between itself and national central banks that are members of the Economic and Monetary Union when it comes to APP. Hence, all of these asset purchases can be consider as being part of ECB's QE.  National central banks such as Dutch DNB or Irish CBI just link bank to ECB's data (<a href="https://www.centralbank.ie/monetary-policy/policy-implementation/asset-purchase-programmes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">example</a>).</p>
<p>Also, in recent modern history asset purchases were generally not used by monetary policy. These data show all APP's since 1998 when ECB was set up for European Monetary Union. When it comes to national central banks outside EMU or prior 1998 you have to check individual central bank data. There are too many countries to give link to every single national central bank dataset so I will just give an example for UK (Bank of England asset purchases are documented <a href="https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/search#?cludoquery=asset%20purchase%20facility&amp;cludopage=1&amp;cludorefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bankofengland.co.uk%2F&amp;cludorefpt=Home%20%7C%20Bank%20of%20England&amp;cludorefact=asset%20purchase%20&amp;cludorefaci=1&amp;cludoinputtype=standard" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>). Most, if not all European central banks have similar reports on their website you have to check them for non-EMU countries one by one. Using these you should be able to find all instances of such programmes except for former soviet republics where central bank data might be missing prior the fall of communist regimes (however it is questionable if any policy during those times would qualify due to lack of capital &amp; financial markets in USSR).</p>
<p>Here is also graph of various ECB QE programmes with dates:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LeH2B.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LeH2B.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-02T19:53:07.330Z
Thank you for your clear answer, explanation and links to the related documents. Based on [this definition](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/asset.asp), I find it a bit difficult to understand the meaning of PSPP, CBPP3, CSPP and ABSPP in context of the question. I think what I would like to ask: are these asset purchases all performed using money created `ex nihilo`? And if not, is it still possible from the sources you referred to distinguish which parts of those purchases are performed using money created ex nihilo, or not?
a.t.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-05T15:21:53.383Z
@a.t. yes any asset purchase of central bank is done by ex nihilo money creation. Central banks do not purchase assets with pre-existing money. Any time they purchase an asset they create money ex nihilo (outside of countries that have problem with currency substitution, but I do not believe there is any european country currently having that issue).
1muflon1
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-01T05:59:18.213Z
2023-01-01T07:30:01.287Z
2023-01-01T07:30:01.287Z
1muflon1
<p>Are all instances of legal, <strong>ex nihilo</strong>, quantitative easing (QE) within Europe, publically documented for the past 50 years, or is that process/data obfuscated?</p>
<p>If yes, is there a <code>json/text/csv/...</code> file with the respective:</p>
<ol>
<li>dates</li>
<li>quantity</li>
<li>Specification of the central bank that issued it?</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-03T18:27:40.190Z
I am not aware of any differences between those, though this prevents the answers from being polluted with options I may not be aware of. *Legal* was a relic from the *money creation* aspect in the original question. E.g.: people may have printed money illegally, which may be seen by some as a form of illegal *money creation*. I am not interested in that activity in this question. Similarly, QE may also involve some other activities that I am not aware of. So in essence, the question is over-constrained. No, this question assumes ECB adheres to the law.
a.t.
<data-request><quantitative-easing><transparency>
Are all instances of European quantitative easing in the last 50 years, publicaly documented?
a.t.
# Are all instances of European quantitative easing in the last 50 years, publicaly documented?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-11-03)

Are all instances of legal, **ex nihilo**, quantitative easing (QE) within Europe, publically documented for the past 50 years, or is that process/data obfuscated?

If yes, is there a `json/text/csv/...` file with the respective:

1. dates
2. quantity
3. Specification of the central bank that issued it?

**Tags:** data-request, quantitative-easing, transparency

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I am not aware of any differences between those, though this prevents the answers from being polluted with options I may not be aware of. *Legal* was a relic from the *money creation* aspect in the original question. E.g.: people may have printed money illegally, which may be seen by some as a form of illegal *money creation*. I am not interested in that activity in this question. Similarly, QE may also involve some other activities that I am not aware of. So in essence, the question is over-constrained. No, this question assumes ECB adheres to the law.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-01-01. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

There isn't a single centralized dataset recording them all one file. This being said such data are being kept by separate monetary authorities.

QE definition by ECB is a bit different than the definition used by Fed. I assume since you are interested in Europe you want to use ECB definition. Following, [ECB's (2021)](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/educational/explainers/show-me/html/app_infographic.en.html) QE is simply defined as:

> Asset purchases, also known as quantitative easing or QE

Hence, following ECB's definition you can find list of ECB's QE [here](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/mopo/implement/app/html/index.en.html). The text file at the link contains dates and quantities of money used for the asset purchase. To my best knowledge ECB does not make distinction between itself and national central banks that are members of the Economic and Monetary Union when it comes to APP. Hence, all of these asset purchases can be consider as being part of ECB's QE. National central banks such as Dutch DNB or Irish CBI just link bank to ECB's data ([example](https://www.centralbank.ie/monetary-policy/policy-implementation/asset-purchase-programmes)).

Also, in recent modern history asset purchases were generally not used by monetary policy. These data show all APP's since 1998 when ECB was set up for European Monetary Union. When it comes to national central banks outside EMU or prior 1998 you have to check individual central bank data. There are too many countries to give link to every single national central bank dataset so I will just give an example for UK (Bank of England asset purchases are documented [here](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/search#?cludoquery=asset%20purchase%20facility&cludopage=1&cludorefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bankofengland.co.uk%2F&cludorefpt=Home%20%7C%20Bank%20of%20England&cludorefact=asset%20purchase%20&cludorefaci=1&cludoinputtype=standard)). Most, if not all European central banks have similar reports on their website you have to check them for non-EMU countries one by one. Using these you should be able to find all instances of such programmes except for former soviet republics where central bank data might be missing prior the fall of communist regimes (however it is questionable if any policy during those times would qualify due to lack of capital & financial markets in USSR).

Here is also graph of various ECB QE programmes with dates:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/LeH2B.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/LeH2B.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you for your clear answer, explanation and links to the related documents. Based on [this definition](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/asset.asp), I find it a bit difficult to understand the meaning of PSPP, CBPP3, CSPP and ABSPP in context of the question. I think what I would like to ask: are these asset purchases all performed using money created `ex nihilo`? And if not, is it still possible from the sources you referred to distinguish which parts of those purchases are performed using money created ex nihilo, or not?  
> **username_1**: @a.t. yes any asset purchase of central bank is done by ex nihilo money creation. Central banks do not purchase assets with pre-existing money. Any time they purchase an asset they create money ex nihilo (outside of countries that have problem with currency substitution, but I do not believe there is any european country currently having that issue).  

---

