04/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - December 2010: inflation on the rise in eurozone. According to a flash estimate published on Tuesday 4 January by Eurostat, the rate of inflation in the eurozone increased to 2.2% in December 2010 compared to 1.9% one month earlier. This 2.2% rate is the highest recorded since October 2008 (when it was 3.2%). It should be pointed out that the European Central Bank (ECB), which is guardian of price stability in the euro area, is counting on inflation that is close to, but below, 2% in the medium term. The limit tolerated by the ECB would therefore have been exceeded. Inflation has constantly increased in the zone over the past year. Consumer prices began to go up again in November 2009 after five months on the decline. Eurostat will be publishing its final estimate for the inflation rate in December 2010 on 14 January. (Com-O.L./transl.jl)