Euro-region inflation unexpectedly slowed in July, though it remained above the European Central Bank’s 2 per cent ceiling for an eighth month as rising energy prices added pressure on companies to pass on higher costs. The inflation rate in the 17-country euro region declined to 2.5 per cent from 2.7 per cent in the previous month, the European Union’s statistics office in Luxembourg said today in an initial estimate. The European Central Bank (ECB) last month forecast euro-region inflation to average 2.6 per cent this year and 1.7 per cent in 2012.