Positive but also negative signals come from the ECB's bank lending survey. The European Central Bank on the one hand has found some glimmers on household credit (“the tightening of the supply conditions for loans to households for the purchase of homes has stopped, reflecting the less unfavorable prospects for the real estate market”). On the other hand, the ECB has found that the policies for the offer of loans to businesses became "slightly more restrictive" in the second quarter of 2013.
As regards the focus on our country, the big picture (drawn up by the Bank of Italy) it's the same. There is a credit tightening “that mainly reflects the unfavorable outlook for economic activity and an associated higher credit risk”. According to the banks consulted, demand also remained sluggish in the second quarter both from businesses (low investments) and from households (low consumer confidence).
