THREAD 1/ The ECB will halt its bond-buying program by the end of this year – a landmark decision that sets the euro area up for an exit from years of massive monetary support. Here are some highlights from the monetary policy statement bloom.bg/2JA8oWx 
2/ ECB bond buying to continue at 30 billion euros a month until September and then be phased out with 15 billion euros in each of October, November and December bloom.bg/2JA8oWx
3/ ECB decided to make a firm commitment on rates: it will be on hold until at least the summer of 2019. This is the simplest, but also strongest, kind of guidance the central bank could opt for, spelling out a timeframe for its rate commitment bloom.bg/2JA8oWx
4/ Of course, as @aspeciale points out, the ECB stressed that it "expects" rates to be on hold until the summer of 2019. Things may change bloom.bg/2JA8oWx
5/ On the other hand, the ECB also kept its options open by saying rates will remain unchanged "as long as necessary to ensure that the evolution of inflation remains aligned with the current expectations of a sustained adjustment path" bloom.bg/2JA8oWx
6/ Before today, the ECB pledged to continue QE until it could see a "sustained adjustment in the path of inflation" toward its goal. Now that QE is about to end and the inflation goal is in sight, a slightly changed version of this condition is transferred to the rate outlook
