ECB nomination held up over lack of women

FRANKFURT, Germany – The European Parliament has put off a hearing on a nominee for a top European Central Bank job to underline concerns over the lack of women running the eurozone's top monetary authority.

Yves Mersch was to appear before the economic and monetary committee Monday on his nomination to the ECB's six-member executive board. Mersch is head of Luxembourg's central bank.

Committee head Sharon Bowles said Friday she had not received an adequate answer from European finance ministers to a letter asking why no women candidates could be found.

There are no women on the executive board that runs the bank day to day, or on the bank's 23-member governing council that sets interest rates.