0.3%: that’s what the growth in GDP in the Euro zone and in the 25-member Europe amounts to, according to the latest data published last week by Eurostat (the EU statistics bureau) relating to the third quarter of 2004. Although half a percentage point lower than the growth registered in the second quarter, an average increase higher than 2% over the same period of 2003 is registered. The highest growth rates are (in order) that of Estonia (1.9%), Greece (1.8%) and Lithuania (1.5%), while the most negative results were registered by Portugal (-1.2%), Ireland (-0.3%) and France, the only country with a zero growth rate. Eurostat also published the data on family consumption (+ 0.1% in the Euro zone and + 0.2% in the 25-member EU), on investments (increased respectively by 0.7% and 0.9%), exports (+ 2.8% and + 2.9%) and imports, whose rates exceeded forecasts again with reference to the third quarter of 2004 increasing by 3.5% for the Euro zone and 2.9% for EU as a whole. In the same period, US and Japanese GDP increased respectively by 1% and 0.1%. For further information, consult the website www.europa.eu.int/eurostat
