ouncil may decide that national central banks shall be
indemnified against costs incurred in connection with the issue of
bank notes or in exceptional circumstances for specific losses arising
from monetary policy operations undertaken for the ESCB.
Indemnification shall be in a form deemed appropriate in the judgment
of the Governing Council; these amounts may be offset against the
national central banks' monetary income.
32.5. The sum of the national central banks' monetary income shall be
allocated to the national central banks in proportion to their paid-up
shares in the capital of the ECB, subject to any decision taken by the
Governing Council pursuant to Article 33.2.
32.6. The clearing and settlement of the balances arising from the
allocation of monetary income shall be carried out by the ECB in
accordance with guidelines established by the Governing Council.
32.7. The Governing Council shall take all other measures necessary
for the application of this Article.
ARTICLE 33
Allocation of net profits and losses of the ECB
33.1. The net profit of the ECB shall be transferred in the following
order:
(a) an amount to be determined by the Governing Council, which may
not exceed 20% of the net profit, shall be transferred to the general
reserve fund subject to a limit equal to a 100% of the capital;
(b) the remaining net profit shall be distributed to the shareholders of
the ECB in proportion to their paid-up shares.
33.2. In the event of a loss incurred by the ECB, the shortfall may be
offset against the general reserve fund of the ECB and, if necessary,
following a decision by the Governing Council, against the monetary
income of the relevant financial year in proportion and up to the
amounts allocated to the national central banks in accordance with
Article 32.5.

CHAPTER VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 34
Legal acts
34.1. In accordance with Article 108a of this Treaty, the ECB shall:
- make regulations to the extent necessary to implement the tasks
defined in Article 3.1., first indent, Articles 19.1, 22 or 25.2 and in
cases which shall be laid down in the acts of the Council referred to in
Article 42;
- take decisions necessary for carrying out the tasks entrusted to the
ESCB under this Treaty and this Statute;
- make recommendations and deliver opinions.
34.2. A regulation shall have general application. It shall be binding in
its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Recommendations and