Paris - European stocks were steady in early trading on Monday, taking a breather following last week's sharp gains, as investors awaited the eurozone finance ministers' meeting in Brussels to see if common ground would be found with Greece's new government.
At 10:06 the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.05% at 1 501.65 points, retreating from a seven-year high hit on Friday.
On Sunday, Greece said it was confident of reaching agreement in negotiations with its eurozone partners but reiterated it would not accept harsh austerity strings in any debt pact.