Brussels, 12/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - GDP grew by 0.3% in both the euro-zone and the EU25 during the third quarter of 2004, compared to the previous quarter, according to flash estimates published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In the second quarter of 2004, growth rates were +0.5% for the euro-zone and +0.6% for the EU25. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, GDP grew by 1.9% in the euro-zone and by 2.1% in the EU25 in the third quarter of 2004, after +2.0% and +2.4% respectively in the previous quarter. During the third quarter of 2004, US GDP increased by 0.9% compared to the previous quarter, after +0.8% in the second quarter. Compared to the third quarter of 2003, GDP grew by 3.9%, after +4.8% in the previous quarter. These estimates were published as experts at the European Central Bank raised their growth forecasts for 2004 to 1.9% (see other article). Growth in the United States over the same period (from the second to the third quarter of 2004) stood at 0.9%. In the fourth quarter of 2004, the Commission is expecting growth to be situated between 0.2% and 0.6%.