“During the last quarter of 2005, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the euro zone increased by 0.3% and that of the 25-member EU by 0.4% over the previous quarter”: Eurostat, the EU statistics office, published the economic data for the last period of 2005 on Wednesday 12 April. They show a slowdown in the growth rate not only of the 12 countries that have adopted the single currency, but also of the rest of the continent. In fact, in the previous quarter (July-September) “GDP grew by 0.7% in the two zones”. Altogether, the GDP of the euro zone amounted to 1.8% on an annual basis, while that of the 25 rose to 2%. Eurostat registers the highest growth rate for Latvia (2.7%), followed by Lithuania and Estonia. Greece, on the contrary, is the only country that registered negative growth (-0.2%). A slowdown in family consumption, investments and foreign trade was also confirmed. The minimum family consumption level was registered in Germany (+0.6%) and the maximum in Latvia (+8.4%). “Among the main trade partners of the EU – points out Eurostat – GDP grew by 0.4% in the USA in the last quarter of 2005, in comparison with 1% in the previous quarter”. The equivalent final quarter figure for Japan was 1.3%, compared with the previous 0.2%. More positive economic data are emerging, however, from some European countries since the beginning of 2006, especially from Germany, “motor of Europe”. But for confirmation of this we will have to await the spring Report of the Commission
