OECD says inflation falls in all major economies, Italy 0.1%

(ANSA) - Paris, September 2 - The rate of inflation in Italy and across almost all of the major European economies fell in July, demonstrating widespread weakness, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Tuesday.
    Inflation, which slipped to just 0.1% in Italy, reached its lowest point since November 2009 among the eurozone countries that use the common currency.
    One exception was France, where inflation remained stable at 0.5%, while in Germany, inflation fell to 0.8% in July from 1.0% the previous month, the organization in a statement. It noted that falling energy prices contributed to the drop in inflation but also warned that there are signs of serious underlying weakness in European economies. In contrast, the annual inflation rate averaged across the organization's 34 members fell to 1.9% in July from 2.1% in June.
    In comparison, the European Central Bank (ECB) aims to hold inflation at just under 2%, which policy makers judge to be the rate that reflects economic growth that is neither too fast nor too slow.