The European Central Bank's monetary policy strategy, and the attention it gives to money supply measures, has a "great future", even after its main architect steps down, according to Jean-Claude Trichet, ECB president, Ralph Atkins reports from Frankfurt.

The ECB's concept has become "more and more convincing" beyond the 12-country eurozone, Mr Trichet argued at a Frankfurt conference marking the imminent departure of Otmar Issing, its chief economist for the past eight years.