29/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - Otmar Issing, Chief Economist for the European Central Bank, told the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs that he was optimistic about the economic situation of the European Union. He felt, however, that one should not expect the rate of inflation to be rapidly brought down to the reference 2% rate, mainly because oil markets remain "volatile". Furthermore, he said he shared the diagnosis of the Federal Reserve whereby the most likely...