Eurozone GDP to fall by 0.3% this year

The data came from the Survey of Professional Forecasters which the ECB carries out on a quarterly basis. It was published in the Frankfurt-based bank's monthly bulletin.

The previous SPF survey predicted a 0.2% contraction for eurozone gross domestic product (GDP) this year and a 1% expansion in 2013.

Recession-inducing austerity measures in some euro countries and "higher uncertainty" over the resolution of the single currency's debt crisis were "the main factors behind the downward revisions," the ECB said.

Forecasters also said that eurozone unemployment would stay at its current high of 11.2% throughout 2012 and increase to 11.4% in 2013. Inflation was projected to fall from 2.3% to 1.7% over the same period.

The ECB said it expected "weak" economic activity both in the second and third quarter of 2012 and only a "very" gradual recovery afterwards. "Risks surrounding the economic outlook for the euro area continue to be on the downside," it noted.

The European Union statistical office, Eurostat, is to publish GDP figures for the second quarter of the year on Tuesday.Author: Alvise Armellini

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