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Europe's major economies contract
The 15 economies of the eurozone contracted by 0.2% between April and June, heightening fears that the euro area is sliding towards recession.
The German economy, Europe's largest, shrank by 0.5% in the second quarter compared with the first three months of the year, the first decline since 2004.
And in both France and Italy GDP shrank by 0.3% in the second quarter.
The downturn was largely driven by a decline in exports and a slowdown in consumer spending.
The slowdown was less pronounced in the wider European community of 27 nations including the UK, which contracted by 0.1%.
However Estonia, where the economy contracted for the second consecutive quarter, is now officially in recession.
Compared to the second quarter of 2007, the eurozone economies grew by 1.5% and the 27 European Union countries grew by 1.7%.
'Deterioration'
Exporters have been affected by the strength of the euro, which makes their products more expensive overseas, and a more general slowdown in global demand.
French finance minister Christine Lagarde, said the decline in the French economy in the second quarter "mostly reflects the deterioration of our international context, which particularly weighed on our exports and which is common to all European countries".
"The fundamentals of the French economy are healthy," she added.
Meanwhile a German finance minister said its economy could contract again in the next quarter which would mean Germany was officially in recession.
"At the moment that cannot be ruled out," said deputy economy minister Walther Otremba.