May 17, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1424

BRUSSELS, May 16: Euro-zone inflation over 12 months fell to 2.1 per cent in April from 2.4 per cent in March, the EU statistics office Eurostat reported on Friday.

Inflation in all 15 countries of the European Union fell to 1.9 per cent from 2.3 per cent in March.

The European Central Bank has set a medium-term ceiling of 2 per cent for inflation in the euro-zone.

Eurostat said that Ireland had the highest euro-zone inflation of 4.6 per cent, followed by Portugal with 3.7 per cent and Greece with 3.3 per cent. The lowest inflation was 1 per cent in Germany and 1.1 per cent in Austria.—AFP