The European Central Bank on Thursday announced it would halve its monthly bond purchases to 30 billion euros ($35 billion) from January but extend the easy money scheme until well into next year.

"From January 2018 the net asset purchases are intended to continue at a monthly pace of 30 billion euros until the end of September 2018, or beyond, if necessary," the bank said in a statement.

The ECB is currently buying 60 billion euros in government and corporate bonds each month to help push up eurozone growth and inflation.