Brussels, 17/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - According to data provided by Eurostat on 17 August, between June and July of this year annual inflation fell in the euro zone from 3 to 2.8% and in the EU15 from 2.8% to 2.6% (in July 2000, these were respectively 2.3 and 2.1%). This change in the trend is especially due to the prices of energy, services and industrial products, whereas food products were up slightly.
The Netherlands recorded the highest level, 5.2%, followed by: - Portugal: 4.3%; - Greece: 4.2%; - Ireland: 4% (inflation was at 5.9% there in June); - Spain: 3.7%; - Sweden: 2.9%; - Italy and Austria: 2.8%; - Belgium: 2.7%; - Germany and Finland: 2.6%; - Luxembourg: 2.4%; - Denmark: 2.3%; - France 2.2%; - the United Kingdom 1.4%.
In July the rate of inflation in the European Economic Area was down, at 2.6%, and in Switzerland it fell to 1.4%, whereas in the United States it fell from 3.2 to 2.7%
(Site: europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/).