Parties, trade unions, employers and consumers welcomed the fall of half a percentage point in interest rates announced today by the European Central Bank (ECB) and hoped to move as soon as possible to families and businesses.

The ECB decided today to cut rates to 2 percent, the lowest level since June 2003 implemented.

Then, the European bank cut the cost of money to 2 percent and remained at that level until November 2005.

This decision has been spokesman for the PSOE’s Budget, Francisco Fernandez Marugán “prudent,” since in his view, the ECB still has some leeway to continue as it has downloaded, for example, USA.

Since the opposition, Secretary for Economy and Employment of the PP, Alvaro Nadal, found that lower rates represents a “relief” for a country as indebted as Spain, but warned that fiscal policies of government should help such decisions of the central banks because “only about pulling the strings is not enough.”

The group Catalan Convergencia i Unio (CIU) hoped that the lowering of trust in the institutions to reflect that in the Euribor and families and businesses can enjoy a lower interest rates.

It also found the UI not discount “sufficient by itself to halt the deteriorating economic situation and alleviate the financial burden of enterprises and Spanish families.

For its part, the president of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE), Gerardo Diaz Ferran, described as “good news” and felt that the decision will facilitate business activity.

Since the unions, the CCOO said to be forcing authorities to move quickly to lower rates to credit for families and increased funding of business.

For his part, Secretary of Trade Union UGT, Toni Ferrer, considered that the measure is necessary, but delayed in comparison with other “most offensive” as the U.S. and Britain, while confident that the entities move this cut rates to their customers.

The National Federation of Independent Workers’ Association (ATA), for its part, felt that the ECB should have undertaken a larger rate cut, but welcomed the measure and asked the bank to move soon to loans this fall.

Consumer associations also claimed that the move down to families.

Thus, the Spanish Confederation of Consumers and Users (CECU) considered “positive” decision, although in his view “the important thing is that this cut is implemented as soon as possible to mortgages.”

ADICAE‘s president, Manuel Pardo, said that the drop in rates was “completely indispensable” in the current economic situation and that “should not be the last, in order to provide families and businesses out of the crisis.

For its part, the president of the Association of Users of Banking Services (Ausbanc), Luis Pineda, said that the ECB has left to fend for consumers “because it allows financial institutions to continue to move without the latest Euribor cuts in the price of money.