Brussels, 06/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - The first results of the investigation carried out in February by the European Commission's Directorate General of Economic and Financial Affairs on the attitudes of industry and consumers towards the economic situation, indicating that the consumer confidence index, in the Euro-area reached record levels, rose from 0.4 points to reach 106 points. In the European Union as a whole the index rose in the same period 0.1 points to reach 105.8 points. The countries where confidence was strengthened the most are Denmark and Finland (+ 1.2 and 0.9 points), while the clearest fall was registered in Austria (-1.6 points).
In particular: - in industry, the indicator increased by a point in the EU as a whole and two in the euro area, whereas industrial confidence remained the same in Austria and fell slightly in Ireland and the United Kingdom; - in the construction sector, on the other hand, the confidence indicator lost part of its gains of the past months, even though its level remains higher than at the end of the year; among consumers, confidence increased by one point in the euro area after three consecutive months of a one point drop; in the EU as a whole, however, the indicator fell in relation to January's record, falling to December's level.
According to the survey, developments in the shares indicator in February are in part responsible for this improvement in confidence in the economic situation. Quotations on the stock market increased in all countries except Austria, Belgium and the United Kingdom, and the rise was especially significant in Germany, Italy, France, Finland and Sweden.