An Austrian central banker Ms Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell has won a seat on the European Central Bank, giving her a voice at the next month's meeting where pressure is mounting for an interest rate cut.

European Union leaders approved her unanimously for an eight-year term to replace Finland's Ms Sirkka Hamalainen, who steps down from the six-member board on May 31st.

"It has been approved by written procedure," said a spokesman for the European Council. Under EU rules, votes can be taken without meeting via an exchange of letters.

Quiet and unassuming, Ms Tumpel-Gugerell is expected to bring a moderate voice to the ECB's decision making, without changing its overall cautious approach to setting interest rates.

She currently is deputy governor of the Austrian central bank and brings a wealth of experience, especially in Eastern European affairs which will be a boon for the ECB as the euro area prepares to admit 10 new members mostly from eastern Europe.

"We are very pleased. A superbly qualified Austrian will now play an important role in the ECB," Austrian finance ministry spokesman Mr Matthias Winkler told Reuters in Vienna.

ECB board members are responsible for the day-to-day management of the single currency used by more than 300 million Europeans and vote on interest rates alongside the national central bank governors of the 12 euro area member-states.

It is expected that Ms Tumpel-Gugerell (50) will take over Ms Hamalainen's current responsibilities on the ECB board, which include overseeing inter-bank payment systems, risk management and treasury operations.