Retail Trade Volumes Up 0.3% Across Europe

March 2014 saw retail trade increase across Europe by 0.3%. In February the increase in trade had been 0.1% in the euro area and 0.3% in the EU28. The annual comparison shows that in March 2014 compared with March 2013 the increase was 0.9% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU28.

The 0.3% increase in the volume of retail trade on the monthly comparison in the euro area is due to a rise of 1.3% in the food, drinks and tobacco sector while the volume fell by 0.3% in the non-food sector and 0.1% in automotive fuel. In the EU28 the rise was due t rises of 1% for automotive fuel and 0.7% for food, drinks and tobacco.

The biggest increases were seen in Estonia and Latvia with 2.8%, France 2.3% and Romania with 2.2%. The decreases were in Portugal with a decrease of 1.7%, Austria with 0.9%, Germany, Ireland and Slovenia all with 0.7%.

The increase of 0.9% in volume over the year was due to rises of 1.9% in the non-food sector, 0.3% in automotive fuel and 0.3% in food, drinks and tobacco in the euro sector. The increase of 1.6% in the volume of retail trade in the EU28 was due to rises of 3.3% in the non-food sector and 1.8% for automotive fuel. Food, drinks and tobacco fell by 0.1%.

Romania saw the biggest increase with a rise of 13.4% in volume, Luxembourg was next with 12.1% and Hungary with 8.4%. Malta with -2%, Finland with -1.3%, Slovenia -1.1% and Spain with -0.6% saw the biggest decreases in volume of retail trade.

Production Down Across Europe In May

Seasonally adjusted figures for industrial production fell by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU27 compared with April according to Eurostat. Production had increased in April by 0.5% and 0.3% respectively.

The production of consumer durables decreased by 2.3% in the euro area and 2.1% in the EU27. Capital goods decreased by by 1.5% and 1.9% respectively and intermediate goods by 0.4% and 0.2% respectively. Energy rose by 0.1% in the euro area and fell by 0.3% in the EU27. Non-durable consumer goods increased by 0.6% in the euro area and fell by 0.1% in the EU27.

Nationally, the largest decreases were in Romania (-10.7%), Lithuania (-6.3%) and Sweden (-3.8%). Portugal (6.1%), Latvia (2.2%) and Estonia (2%) saw the largest increases.

Fall In European Annual Inflation

Annual inflation fell in Europe in February in both the euro area and the EU27. In the euro area inflation fell to 1.8% from 2% while in the EU27 it fell to 2% from 2.1% in January. The monthly inflation figures also fell by 0.4% in both zones.

The lowest annual rates were in Greece (0.1%) and Portugal (0.2%) and the highest rates were in Romania (4.8%) and Estonia (4%). The biggest upward contributions to the changes were from electricity (0.17%), fruit and tobacco (both 0.07%) and the biggest downward contributions came from telecommunications (-0.22%), medical and paramedical services (0.08%) and garments (0.07%).

Increases In Retail Trade On Europe's High Streets

The volume of retail trade rose by 1.2% in the euro area and by 0.9% in the EU27 in January compared with December according to data from Eurostat. In December trade had fallen by 0.8% and 0.7% respectively. The annual comparison shows that sales fell by 1.3% in the euro area and by 0.9% in the EU27 in January 2013 compared with January 2012.

The monthly comparison shows that the countries with the greatest increases in January were Portugal and Romania with 4.2% with the largest decreases in Denmark (-2%), Malta (1.6%) and Finland (-1.2%). The annual comparison shows that the largest increases were in Belgium (8.4%) and Luxembourg (7.1%) and the biggest decreases were in Slovenia (-7.6%), Bulgaria (-5.5%) and Portugal (-3.9%).

Europe Increased Production In August

Industrial production in Europe increased by 0.6% in the euro area and 0.3% in the EU27 in August compared with July according to a statistical bulletin from Eurostat. When comparing August 2012 with August 2011 industrial production fell by 2.9% in the euro area and 1.8% in the EU27. The highest increases were in Portugal (6.8%), Lithuania (4.6%), Slovenia (4%) and Greece (2.5%). The largest decreases were in Czech Republic (-2.9%), Denmark (-2.8% and Romania and Finland (both -1.1%).

Retail Trade Down Across Europe

In April compared with March 2012 retail trade fell across Europe by 1% in the euro area and by 1.1% in the EU27. When compared with April 2011 retail trade fell by 2.5% in the euro area and by 1.9% in the EU27. The food sector fell by 2.3% in the euro area and by 2.4% in the EU27 and the non-food sector fell by 2.1% and 0.7% respectively. The volume of retail trade fell in twelve of the Member States and grew in nine. The largest decreases were in Spain (-9.6%), Portugal (-9.3%) and Malta (-4.6%) and the greatest increases were in Estonia (8.5%), Latvia (7.8%) and Romania 3.4%).

Retail Volumes Increase Across Europe

The volume of retail trade has increased by 0.3% in the euro area during March compared with February and by 0.7% in the EU27. In Bulgaria sales increased by 3.9% and in Poland by 2.6%. In western Europe sales laos incresaed in Austria and the UK both by 1.9%. Retail trade decreased in Portugal (-2.2%) and Estonia (-2%) and Slovenia -1.4%). The changes in both areas were mainly due to fluctuations in the non-food products sectors. Over the year from March 2011 to March 2012 retail sales fell by 0.2% in the euro area but grew in the EU27 by 1%. The biggest increases were in Latvia (10%), Estonia (9.3%) and Luxembourg (7.2%) andf the biggest decreases were in Portugal (-5%), Spain (-3.9%) and Malta (-2.7%). The changes were due to a fall of 0.3% in sales in the food, drinks and tobacco sector in the euro area and increases of 0.3% in the euro area and 2.2% in the EU27 in the non-food sector.

Retail Sales Down 0.4% In Euro Area

Euro area retail trade fell by 0.4% in terms of volume in December 2011 compared with November while it grew by 0.3% in the EU27 over the same period. Food, drinks and tobacco fell by 0.2% in the euro area and grew by 0.3% in the EU27. Non-food sector categories grew by 0.3% in the EU27 but fell by 0.1% in the euro area.

Total retail trade fell in eleven states and grew in eight states remaining stable in Ireland and Sweden. The highest increases were in Portugal (2.2%), Belgium (1.5%) and Poland (0.7%) and the biggest decreases were in Malta and Slovenia (both -3.1%) and Latvia (-2%).

The annual comparison shows that in December 2011 compared with December 2010 the food, drinks and tobacco sector fell by 1.3% in the euro area and 0.6% in the EU27 and the non-food sector decreased by 1.5% in the euro area but grew by 0.8% in the EU27. The total retail sales index for the EU27 shows growth of 0.1% but in the euro area a fall of 1.6%.

Trade fell in ten states but rose in eleven. The largest increases were in Lithuania (13%), Latvia (7.1%) and the UK (6.3%). The biggest falls in trade were recorded in Portugal (-8.8%), Spain (-5.3%) and Slovakia (-3.3%) (Eurostat).

September Retail Trade Down In Europe

The volume of retail trade in Europe fell in both the euro zone and the EU in general in September when compared with August 2011. The year on year retail sales index also fell in both areas.

Volume fell by 0.7% in the euro area and 0.3% in the EU27 during the month between August and September. The non-food sector fell by 0.8% in the euro area and 0.9% in the EU while food, drink and tobacco remained unchanged in the euro area and rose by 0.1% in the EU27. The total retail trade index fell in 11 of the member states and rose in 8. The highest decreases were in Portugal (-3.7%), Slovenia (-2.1%) and Spain (-1.7%) and the largest increases were in Poland (2.4%), UK (1%) and Latvia (0.9%).

The index fell by 1.5% in the euro area and 0.8% in the EU27 when comparing 2010 and 2011. The food category fell by 0.5% in the euro area and 0.4% in the EU as a whole. The non-food sector fell by 1.9% and 0.8% respectively. The highest decreases were in Malta (-7.5%), Portugal (-6.2%) and Spain (-5.8%). The highest increases were in Lithuania (10.6%), Luxembourg (8.3%) and Latvia (8.1%).

Shares Of Renewable Energy In Total Consumption

Renewable energy seems to have contributed 10.3% of gross final energy consumption in the EU27 in 2008. It compares with 9.7% in 2007 and 8.8% in 2006. Individual targets are set for all Member States by the 2009 Directive so that the EU will reach a target of 20% share of total energy consumption for renewable energy sources by 2020.

Renewable energy shares vary widely among Member States. Sweden had the highest share of renewable energy in total consumption in 2008 with 44.4%, Finland had 30.5%, Latvia had 29.9%, Austria 28.5% and Portugal had 23.2%. The lowest was Malta with 0.2%. The UK was third lowest with 2.2% of renewable energy in total consumption. All Member States increased their share of renewable energy in total consumption between 2006-8. The largest increases were in Austria from 24.8% to 28.5%, Estonia from 16.1% to 19.1%, Romania from 17.5% to 20.4%, Portugal from 20.5% to 23.2% and Slovakia from 6.2% to 8.4%.

GDP Up 0.2% In Europe

EU GDP increased by 0.2% during the first quarter of 2010 according to a news release from Eurostat. GDP in both the euro area and the EU27 rose by the same amount in the quarter according to these second estimates.

These figures compare with the 0.1% and 0.2% growth in GDP in the euro area and the EU27 rspectively in the last quarter of 2009. In comparison with the first quarter of 2009 GDP rose by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU27 after falling by 2.1% and 2.3% respectively in the previous quarter.

The Member States which data are available show that Ireland recorded the highest GDP growth with 2.7%, then Sweden with 1.4% and Portugal with 1.1% growth on the previous quarter. Comparing the same quarter of the previous year, Slovakia recorded the highest GDP growth with 4.5%. GDP in the US grew by 0.7% and Japan by 1.2% in the first quarter 2010. When compared with the same quarter last year the US GDP has grown by 2.4% and Japan's GDP by 4.2%.

Among the various components of GDP household final consumption expenditure decreased by 0.1% in the euro area and the EU27. Investments fell by 1.2% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU27. Exports increased by 2.1% in the euro area and by 2% in the EU27 and imports rose by 3.8% and 3.4% respectively.

EU Inflation Unchanged At 2%

EU annual inflation was unchanged at 2% in May 2010. The previous year it was 0.8%. Monthly inflation in May was 0.2%. Annual inflation in the euro area was 1.6% in May. This time last year it was 0.0%. Monthly inflation was 0.1% in May 2010.

The lowest annual inflation rates in the EU in May were in Latvia (-2.4%) and Ireland (-1.9%). The highest rates of inflation were in Greece (5.3%), Hungary (4.9%) and Romania (3.6%). Inflation fell in 10 member states and rose in 12. It was stable in the other 5. Over the year the picture is much the same with the highest rates in Ireland (-2.5%), Latvia (-1.2%) and Portugal (-0.5%) and the lowest in Hungary (5.1%), Romania (4.7%) and Poland (3.6%).

The main contributions to the changes came from recreation and culture and alcohol and tobacco (0.4%) with the highest monthly rates and food and communications (both -0.2%) and education (0.0%) the lowest.

Production In Europe Increased In April

Indicators from Eurostat tell us that in April 2010 industrial production in the euro area was up by 0.8% and by 0.5% in the EU27 compared with March 2010. Other monthly comparisons include the production of capital goods which increased by 1.1% in the euro area and 0.7% in the EU27. Durable consumer goods fell by 0.1% in the euro area but increased by 0.4% in the EU27. Non-durables fell by 1.2% and 1.6%. Intermediate goods grew by 2.2% and 2.7% respectively but energy fell by 0.9% and 0.2%. Industrial production rose in 12 and fell in 9 of the countries for which data is available. The highest increases were in Lithuania with 6%, Estonia 2.4% and Denmark with 2.2%. Ireland registered the biggest decrease with 10.9%, Portugal's production fell by 4.4% and Greece by 3.4%.

Annual comparisons suggest that in April 2010 compared with April 2009 industrial production increased by 9.5% in the euro area and 7.8% in the EU27. Intermediate goods made the biggest contribution with growth of 16% in the euro area and 14.1% in the EU27. Capital goods increased by 8.9% in the euro area and 7.9% in the EU27. Energy production rose by 6.9% and 5% respectively. Production of non-durable consumer goods went up by 3% in the euro area and 1.1% in the EU27 and of durables by 1.4% and 4.1% respectively. On a national level industrial production rose in 18 of the member states for which data is available. The highest increases were in Estonia (18.3%), the Netherlands (14.7%) and Germany (13.9%). The only states in which industrial production fell were Greece (-6.4%), Ireland (-2.8%) and Bulgaria (-2.6%).