Brussels, 13/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - Car sales increased in Europe, between 1998 and 1999, by over 4.9%, according to the statistics of the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers published on Thursday. New registrations went from 13.9 million units in 1998 to 14.6 million in 1999, for the Union as a whole. Like last year, the steepest increase in sales was recorded in Greece (+45.3%), led by a reduction in the registration fee, whereas the rise was generally situated around the 10 to 15% mark in France, Belgium, Portugal, the Netherlands Luxembourg and Finland, but only 1.4% in Germany. Registrations continue to increase in Ireland (+19.6% against a rise of 21% in 1998), Spain (18.1% against 14.7% in 1998), Sweden (+16.5). There were falls in sales in Denmark (-12.4% against -14.6% in 1998), but slowed down in the United Kingdom (-2.2%, against -21.6% in 1998).