Brussels, 12/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - Production in the construction sector has increased by 0.2% in the euro zone and 0.1% in the EU25 in the third quarter of 2005, as compared to the previous quarter. In the second quarter of 2005, production increased by 2.0% in the euro zone and in the EU25. Compared to the third quarter of 2004, production in the third quarter of 2005 increased by 0.3% in the euro zone and by 0.9% in the EU25, after -0.5% and +0.3% respectively in the second quarter of 2005. Between the second and third quarters of 2005, production in the construction sector increased in 14 countries and dropped in five. Hungary (+6.5%), Estonia (+6.1%), Latvia (+5.5%) and the Czech Republic (+4.1%) saw the biggest increases, whereas Slovenia (-3.6%), Belgium and Austria (both -1.6%) saw the biggest drops. In annual terms, production in the construction sector increased in 13 countries and decreased in six. The biggest increases were seen in Estonia (+28.3%), Hungary (+22.3%) and Slovakia (+16.8%) with the biggest drops in Portugal (-3.9%), Germany (-3.8%) and Belgium (-2.1%). The building sector shrank by 0.3% in the euro zone, but grew by 0.8% in the EU25, with -0.6% and +0.6% respectively in the second quarter of 2005. Civil engineering saw an increase of 0.3% in the euro zone, but shrank by 0.9% in the EU25 with -0.5% and -2.5% respectively in the previous quarter.