Size 'crucial' for ECB stimulus measures: expert The European Central Bank is widely expected to launch a contested new programme of so-called "quantitative easing" or "QE" at its first policy meeting of the year on Thursday after inflation in the single currency area turned negative for the first time in five years in December. Kathleen Brooks, research director at Forex.com, says the programme will have to be sufficiently large in order to make any difference to eurozone economies. SOUNDBITES.