Lithuania opts for early euro date despite inflation concerns

Lithuania has formally applied to join the euro next year despite previous warnings by the European Commission and the European Central Bank that its inflation rate is in breach of rules applied in the single currency area.

The country's inflation has been driven by fast economic growth, which reached 7.5 percent of GDP last year, the third fastest pace in the EU.

Under the eurozone's rules, candidates must keep inflation within 1.5 percentage points of the average of the EU's t...