Annual inflation in the eurozone jumped to 2.6 per cent in August, data released Friday showed, adding to the pressure on the European Central Bank as it considers new steps to help resolve the eurozone debt crisis, dpa reported. This compared with an annual inflation rate of 2.4 per cent in July, the European Union's statistics office, Eurostat, said releasing the preliminary data. The publication of the data formed part of the buildup to a key meeting Thursday of the ECB's governing council, which is expected to consider plans to reactivate the bank's government bond-buying programme. The August rise in consumer prices in the 17-member currency bloc pushed inflation further away from the ECB's 2-per-cent annual target. It also means that inflation has breached the limit for 21 months in a row. While Eurostat does not release details of its preliminary inflation data, analysts have been warning of the threat posed to consumer prices by the recent rise in energy costs.
