WRAPUP 2-ECB's Papademos stokes early recovery hopes

* Papademos brings forward possible recovery start date

* Other policymakers warn against exaggerating recovery

* Weber says ECB steps to date are sufficient

(adds Papademos comments)

By Krista Hughes and Harry Papachristou

FRANKFURT/ATHENS, May 18 (Reuters) - European Central Bank Vice-President Lucas Papademos said economic recovery in the euro zone could begin as early as this year, at the same time as his colleagues were trying to temper hype of a quickfire rebound from the financial crisis.

Papademos has often led the ECB debate on possible ways to combat the financial crisis in recent months. He was quoted as saying on Monday that a recovery could begin to take shape by the end of the year, sooner than his colleagues, or most economists, have dared to suggest.

"Our central scenario continues to be that the recovery of the European economy, and of the euro zone in particular, will gradually take place during next year, but recent evidence may be suggesting that it could come a little sooner ... meaning towards the end of 2009," Papademos told Athens News Agency in an interview conducted in Vienna.