Euro zone inflation is increasingly likely to ease back to the European Central Bank's 2% target on a more permanent basis, ECB board member Isabel Schnabel said on Wednesday in comments that are likely to bolster interest rate cut expectations.

The European Central Bank is more confident that inflation is going to settle at its target after a series of recent data releases, and will take that into account when it next sets policy, President Christine Lagarde said Monday.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is increasingly confident that inflation will fall back to its 2% target and this should be reflected in its October policy decision, ECB President Christine Lagarde said on Monday.