The economic recovery in Europe appears to be still fledgling and uneven.
European recovery stalls as Germany posts flat growth
March 10, 2010
Europe's economic recovery has apparently stalled, according to newly released data. Germany, Europe's most powerful economy, came to a standstill in the fourth quarter of 2009 despite gains for France and Poland.
Economic growth in the 16-nation euro zone amounted to just 0.1 percent over the previous quarter compared to 0.4 percent growth in the third quarter, data agency Eurostat said in a second estimate.
Gross domestic product fell by an upwardly-revised 4.1 percent across the euro zone over the whole of 2009, it added.
Germany was flat after posting 0.7 percent growth in the previous quarter, but France tripled its rate to 0.6 percent, according to adjusted figures.
Meanwhile, Poland, the fastest-growing economy in the 27-nation European Union in 2009, saw its growth rate double to 1.2 percent.
Across the European Union, growth edged up by 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter, and fell by 2.3 percent over all of 2009.
