The ECB has already lowered its benchmark interest rate to near zero and started purchasing bonds made up of bank loans to companies — an effort to boost lending and economic activity. Some economists think the bank could widen the bond purchases to include corporate or government bonds in an effort to pump newly created money into the financial system — so-called quantitative easing, or QE. Some officials and economists say more central bank stimulus would only take pressure off governments to make pro-growth reforms, and that bond purchases could unfairly stick German taxpayers with any losses in case of default.