Brussels, 05/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The results of the regular analysis, by the European Commission (Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs) of consumer and industry feelings concerning the state of the European Union economy show in particular that, in December 2000, the indicator of consumer confidence had risen 2 points in both the Euro Area as in the EU as a whole. This indicator has improved in particular (by 4 points) in Ireland (where it increase between November and December from 10 to 14), in Spain (from -1 to 3), in France (from -3 to 1) and in Austria (from -4 to 0). The most negative results are those of Portugal (where the indicator has remained at -20) and in Greece (from -21 to -18), while in Sweden, where the indictor was at a high level, there has been a slight fall (from 14 to 12). Consumer confidence has risen everywhere else, even the were the indicator remains negative: from 18 to 19 in the Netherlands, - from 13 to 16 in Belgium, - from 11 to 12 in Finland, - from 4 to 7 in Denmark, - from 0 to 2 in the United Kingdom, - from -4 to -3 in Germany, - from -12 to -10 in Italy. (No data is signalled from Luxembourg).
As for the industry confidence indicator, it increased by one point in the EU and remained stable in the Euro Area. The greatest differences are noted, in a positive manner, in Ireland and in the United Kingdom, where it fell 5 points (from 12 to 7). In the other countries, the change was as follows: - Italy from 10 to 12; - Finland from 16 to 13; - France from 13 to 12; - Denmark stable at 9; - Greece from 5 to 8; - the Netherlands at 4; - Spain from 2 to 3; - Portugal from 4 to 1; - Belgium from -3 to 1; - Germany from 0 to 2; - Austria from -1 to 2.