ECB's Trichet: No decision that rates can fall no further

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said on Thursday he and his colleagues had not ruled that euro zone interest rates, now at 1.0 percent, could fall no further.

"We have not decided today that the new level of our policy rates was the lowest level, that we could never cross whatever future circumstances would be," Trichet told a news conference after the ECB cut rates by a quarter point to 1.0 percent.

But he added: "The Governing Council considers that the present level of interest rates are appropriate taking into account all of information available."

The ECB has cut rates from 4.25 percent since last October.

Trichet said the euro zone was showing tentative signs of stabilising at a very low level after a weaker than expected first quarter.

(Reporting by Krista Hughes, writing by Mike Peacock; Editing by Ron Askew)