Brussels, 17/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - Figures published by Eurostat on 17 June indicated that in April 2010, compared with March 2010, construction output was down by 0.3% in the euro area (EA16) and remained stable in the EU27. In March, production rose by 6.5% and 6.0% respectively. Compared with April 2009, output in April 2010 dropped by 6.1% in the euro area and by 4.3% in the EU27.
Compared to March 2010, construction output fell in eight member states, notably in Hungary
(-8.1%), Spain (-4.9%) and Portugal (-3.7%), rose in five, notably in Slovakia (+9.0%), the Czech Republic (+4.8%) and Germany (+2.6%) and remained unchanged in the Netherlands. Building construction fell by 0.9% in the euro area and by 1.2% in the EU27, after +9.2% and +7.2% respectively in March. Civil engineering increased by 3.4% in the euro area and by 3.0% in the EU27, after +0.9% and +1.5% respectively in the previous month.
Compared to April 2010, construction output fell in eleven member states and rose only in Sweden (+9.1%), Germany (+4.8%) and the United Kingdom (+0.9%). The largest decreases were registered in Bulgaria (-22.7%), Spain (-18.5%) and Romania (-17.2%). Building construction decreased by 6.0% in the euro area and by 4.9% in the EU27, after -3.2% and -3.0% respectively in March. Civil engineering dropped by 6.5% in the euro area and by 0.8% in the EU27, after -14.1% and -6.7% respectively in the previous month. (A.B. transl.fl)