ECB Governing Council member Olli Rehn has underscored the significance of core inflation in guiding the bank’s monetary-policy decisions. His comments comes at a time when consumer prices in eurozone are reportedly slowing, but not at the desired pace.
Rehn stated, “The rise in consumer prices in the euro area is slowing, but not to the extent desired,” further adding, “Inflation excluding energy and food is falling only gradually.”
Highlighting the primacy of core inflation – which excludes the volatile sectors of energy and food – in policy considerations, Rehn remarked, “I consider core inflation a very important, essential yardstick in the overall judgment of monetary-policy making.”
Rehn emphasized ECB’s commitment to bringing inflation back to its target, saying, “We will bring interest rates to levels sufficiently restrictive to achieve a timely return of inflation to the 2% medium-term target and keep them there as long as necessary.”
