Brussels, 29/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - Eurozone annual inflation is expected to be -0.2% in February, down from 0.3% in January, according to a flash estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, on Monday 29 February.
As regards the main components of eurozone inflation, services are expected to see the highest annual rate in February (1.0%, compared to 1.2% in January), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (0.7%, compared to 1.0% in January), non-energy industrial goods (0.3%, compared to 0.7% in January) and energy (-8.0%, compared to -5.4% in January).
This return of inflation into negative figures increases the pressure on the European Central Bank, whose Governing Council is to meet on Thursday 10 March, when it is expected to announce new accommodative monetary measures (such as a further reduction of the deposit facility rate and an extension of the 'quantitative easing' operation (see EUROPE 11473). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)