MILAN, Oct 14 - The euro's rise against the dollar would help confirm European economic recovery next year and could allow easing of monetary policy, European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Pedro Solbes was quoted as saying on Tuesday. "Today the euro/dollar rate is travelling along the historic average of previous periods," Solbes told financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore in an interview. Solbes acknowledged that dollar's depreciation against the euro would have negative effects on the European Union's external trade, but pointed out that most of the bloc's trade was between member states. "We could buy oil less expensively, keep inflation under control and therefore loosen the monetary policy shirt. We can also increase our capacity to invest abroad. Therefore in 2004 the European recovery will should be confirmed."//