Consumer prices in the eurozone were 2.4% higher in February than a year earlier, a slower rate of inflation than recorded in January, reassuring policymakers ahead of Thursday’s meeting.

For four years, the ECB has been trying to slow the economy down, raising its key deposit rate to a record 4 percent to choke off inflation, before gradually lifting its foot off the brake since June. Next week’s expected rate cut will be the sixth in the current sequence, and will bring the deposit rate down to 2.5 percent.

Inflation in Europe eased to 2.4% in February, supporting the case for another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank but leaving open how far the central bank will go in lowering borrowing

Eurozone inflation eased to 2.4% in February but remained above forecasts, complicating the ECB’s rate-cut plans. Monthly price pressures, meanwhile, hit a 10-month high. View on euronews

Euro zone inflation dipped a bit less than expected last month but its most closely watched component also dropped, sealing the case for another ECB interest rate cut on Thursday and solidifying bets for further policy easing in the coming months.

Euro zone inflation eased to 2.4% in February but came in slightly above analyst expectations, according to flash data from statistics agency Eurostat out on Monday. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected inflation to dip to 2.