Brussels, 14/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - “After a first disappointing half year growth is expected to gather speed in the second half of this year and return to its potential level next year”, Commissioner Almunia said on Monday as he presented the broad lines of the analysis that the Commission is developing and for which it will give figures on Thursday, when its autumn economic forecasts are published. For the second half of 2005, the Commission's general economic sentiment indicator improved for all sectors and especially for services and the retail trade, the Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs recalled in a speech given in Brussels at the World Savings Bank Institute (WSBI) and the European Savings Bank Group (ESBG). Consumer confidence has slightly improved, Joaquin Almunia notes, stressing that the data, mainly that on industrial production, also confirms this upward trend. The fall in unemployment figures (which were down to 8.4% in September in the euro zone) should, he said, also increase confidence in coming months. He expected that the main motor for growth would be strengthened domestic demand, with relatively strong acceleration in the rate of investment spending and a more gradual recovery of private consumption. World growth will remain strong in 2006 and 2007 but oil prices and the major global imbalances are still major risks, Almunia warned, saying he remained confident that there will be strong recovery in the European economy in 2006.