* WHAT: EU-norm inflation data for October; interest-rate decision in November
* WHEN: Inflation - Nov. 15, rate decision - Nov. 27
* Inflation seen accelerating to a six-month high of 1.9 percent, the two-week repo rate seen unchanged at 4.25 percent
By Martin Dokoupil and Martin Santa
BRATISLAVA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Slovak EU-norm inflation probably hit a six-month high in October without jeopardising the country's euro adoption aims, allowing the central bank to keep policy on hold this month, according to a Reuters poll.
The median forecast of 11 analysts polled by Reuters was for annual inflation, calculated by European Union standards, to have quickened to 1.9 percent in October from 1.7 percent the previous month.
The consumer price figures due on Nov. 15 were seen rising 0.2 percent month-on-month, after September's 0.3 percent rise, driven mainly by food prices, fuel costs and services.
All analysts in the survey expected the key two-week repo rate to hold at 4.25 percent following a policymakers' meeting on Nov. 27, a notch above the euro zone benchmark rate that is seen staying at 4.0 percent in the coming months.
Rising food costs boosted inflation in September, lifting the rate from a record low of 1.2 percent in both August and July, but analysts expect it to be comfortably below the euro zone entry ceiling at the time of assessment in early 2008.
"Inflation could be higher than expected (in the spring of 2008) but not so significantly that it would endanger meeting the inflation criterion," said Michal Musak, analyst at Slovenska Sporitelna in Bratislava.
Slovakia, which aims to adopt the euro in 2009, met the entry criterion for inflation, based on a sliding average for the past 12 months, for the first time ever in August.
The food price jump caused the Slovak central bank (NBS) to raise its inflation forecast for 2007 and 2008 on Tuesday, but rate-setters left rates flat for the sixth month running.
The NBS raised its 2007 EU-norm inflation forecast to 1.6 percent from 1.5 percent in its July prediction, and the 2008 forecast to 2.3 percent from 2.0, above its 2.0 percent target.
The NBS said after Tuesday's meeting that a strong crown had made monetary conditions restrictive enough, although it added the currency's inflation-dampening effect would be fading away in the coming months.
"Food and fuel prices will show acceleration through the remainder of the year. However, we do not think that policymakers will react to these upside risks," said Lucia Sramkova, senior economist at ING Bank in Bratislava.
"We think that (central) bankers prefer rate stability in the run-up to euro adoption, with the euro zone rates likely meeting Slovak rates at 4.25 percent in late 2008," she said.
The crown has gained 3.8 percent against the euro so far this year. It hit a record high of 32.710 in March and has since slid to trade within a broader range at weaker levels.
Analysts saw the crown firming to 33.0 by the end of this month, from 33.345 on Friday <EURSKK=>.
((For table with detailed Reuters survey click on []))
((Reporting by Martin Dokoupil/Martin Santa; writing by Martin Dokoupil; editing by Gerrard Raven; Reuters Messaging: martin.dokoupil.reuters.com@reuters.net; +421 2 5341 8402))
Keywords: SLOVAKIA ECONOMY/POLL
