BRUSSELS, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Inflation across the 19-country euro area hit a four-year high of 2 percent in February thanks to soaring prices of energy, said Eurostat on Thursday.
The latest inflation figure is expected to stir mixed reaction in Brussels as the bloc has struggled for years to reach an inflation target of "close to but below 2 percent."
The European Central Bank has been under pressure to rein in its massive stimulus measures since inflation rose dramatically in December 2016. The bank said earlier it would take no action in response to temporary changes.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile items such as energy and food, stood at a low level of merely 0.9 percent in February.
