European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council members met regularly with representatives from financial institutions, according to documents released Monday by the central bank. One meeting was on the same day as the ECB's monetary policy meeting.

"The ECB does not operate in a vacuum. Regular contacts with different groups, including representatives from the financial sector help us understand the dynamics of the economy and financial markets. We make sure that at such meetings no financial market-sensitive information is disclosed," an ECB spokeswoman said.