In the Euro Area, producer prices in February remained below expectations at 0.2 percent. The highest increase occurred in Estonia with 9.5 percent. Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), released the producer price index (PPI) data for both the EU and the Euro Area for February. According to the data, the Producer Price Index (PPI) in the EU rose by 0.3 percent compared to the previous month, and by 3.1 percent compared to the same month last year. In the Euro Area, the PPI increased by 0.2 percent compared to the previous month, and by 3 percent compared to the same month last year. Market expectations were for a 0.3 percent monthly increase in the Euro Area PPI. Among EU countries, in February, the PPI increased the most on a monthly basis in Estonia by 9.5 percent, Romania by 4.8 percent, and Bulgaria by 2.5 percent. The monthly PPI in February decreased by 4.9 percent in Ireland, 0.8 percent in France and Slovakia, and 0.5 percent in Slovenia. On an annual basis, the PPI in Bulgaria rose by 19 percent, in Ireland by 12.8 percent, and in Estonia by 12.7 percent, while it decreased in Luxembourg by 5.6 percent, Lithuania by 1.5 percent, and France by 1.4 percent.