BRUSSELS (AFX) - The euro zone's core inflation, excluding food and energy, showed a rise "about normal" in April, European Commission economic and monetary affairs spokesman Gerassimos Thomas said. Commenting on today's HICP figures for April, he said that core annual inflation - which rose to 1.9 pct in April from 1.8 pct in March - was "about normal".
He said the overall April figures of 2.9 pct year-on-year and a monthly rise of 0.5 pct from March cannot be called welcome, but are not outside the range of the commission's predictions.
He noted that food, especially unprocessed food, and energy had risen sharply, but "for the rest there are normal rises".
Asked about the ECB and its monetary policy, he stressed the bank is independent, but noted the ECB does not take its decisions only on the basis of consumer prices.
He later added it uses two pillars - consumer prices and money supply.