GDP: EU INDEX UP 0.5% DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2001.

Compared to the previous quarter, the growth of household final consumption expenditure slightly accelerated during the first quarter of 2001, reaching and 0.4% in the EU (+0.3% in the previous quarter). Investment dropped by 0.7% in the EU during the first quarter 2001, after having recorded a growth of 0.5%, during the fourth quarter of 2000. Moreover, in the first quarter of 2001, export growth recorded a significant deceleration in the EU (+0.2%, after a growth of +2.7% during the fourth quarter of 2000), while imports dropped by 0.9% (+2.4 % in the previous quarter).Industry. During the first quarter of 2001, the growth of the total gross value...